Modern Warfare 3: Makarov
by ReadyFireAimEmission
Summary: Devastation. Revenge. Investigations. With a new found goal and an undying will to achieve it, Vladimir Makarov will overcome anything in order to complete it. This is his continued story, and his trials and tribulations after Modern Warfare 2.
1. Prologue

It seemed when a world goes to war, all rules of society are thrown out the door.

Murder is common practice, violence becomes an everyday part of life.

Corruption spreads, leaders seek only to benefit themselves and not the people.

Society rots, poverty and death spreads.

The innocent are turned desperate, and crime spreads like wildfire.

In the chaos, new ideals emerge, new radicals take there place at the table, putting their ideas forward.

Heroes become radicals. Radicals become villains. Villains become devils.

But in times like this, who is really good, and who is bad?

Who are the real heroes? Who are the real villains?

Is a villain defined as someone who is evil, or is it someone who is working against others? Is a hero defined as someone pursuing justice, or rather his own goals?

There are no heroes or villains. Only different perspectives. One sees the other in a different light, and the other in see one in another.

Some only care for themselves. Others care about their loved ones. Some try to seek justice. Some seek vengeance. Some redemption.

Justice. Redemption. Revenge.

How far would you go to achieve your goals?

What would a person do to bring a mad dog killer to justice?

What would a person do to redeem themselves and their country?

What would a person do to save the one they loved, and get revenge in the process?

Sedusky.

Webb.

Makarov.

Three individuals.

One story.

In war, there are no true heroes and true villains.

No good. No evil.

There's only you.

This is the continued story of Vladimir Makarov.


	2. Protagonists

**"Letting The World Be"**

**Henri N. Sedusky**

**11:10 PM, 376 Days after Zakhaev Airport Attack**

**Russian Investigation Bureau, Moscow Branch**

**Moscow, Russia**

_"In war, there are no victors. Only survivors__..."_**  
**

Henri Sedusky looked up at the bright summer sky as he sat on the park bench, enjoying his brief break and being able to get out of the office, even if it only was for a little while. Summer was just around the corner, and the weather was beginning to change.

He liked the summer months. It always made the city feel bright and alive, no matter what seemed to happen. People always seemed happier when summer came along. Kids getting out of school, families going on vacations, just people enjoying life, even if was only for a little while.

But even summer though was here and life was good, it just wasn't that simple. Miles away, things were much different for many people living across the ocean. While here summer meant vacations and play, over in America, things were much different.

Destruction. Violence. Looting and Crime. These were all the things people were experiencing in America. War had devastated the country, left its people in shatters, and the country itself had been destroyed in a matter of days. And all for the wrong reasons...

It seemed like only yesterday when he had gone to Zakhaev International Airport on that fateful day. The turn of events had put him on a course he would have never expected to find himself on. While war was raging in another nation, he was in the middle of another.

A war against a mad man. A man who had taken two countries and turned them on each other, igniting a conflict that history had yet seen in terms of destruction and chaos.

They had looked for that man. They had pursued that man. They had found and cornered that man. And in the end, they had captured that man.

He had started a war, just as he wanted to. But in the end, he was captured and he finally lost, never to be a problem again to the public, and society as a whole.

Even in their victory, it still hadn't changed anything. Even though the United States and Russia were at a tense seize fire, it would only last so long before one nation started throwing punches again. It was inevitable, and catching the man who had started it all won't change any bit of it.

He knew that war would eventually start up again. He knew crime would spread and more problems would arise. He knew it would only be a matter of time...

But for now, he could relax and enjoy the summer weather in the park, even for only a while. He could just let the world be.

* * *

**"Patriot Games"**

**Matthew L. Webb**

**11:20 AM, 376 Days after Zakhaev Airport Attack**

**USSA Special Operations Squad # 0704  
**

**Moscow, Russia. GUM Supermarket Complex**

"_Five years ago, I lost 30,000 men in a blink of an eye, and the world just fuckin watched...Tomorrow there will be no shortage of volunteers, no shortage of Patriots..._

-Lieutenant General David Shepherd

Matthew Webb listened to the hum of elevator motor, standing in silence waiting for the final stop when they would reach their destination, as well as their target.

He glanced down from his feet up to the others in the elevator around him. Three others, all standing silently, waiting for the same thing he was.

He never would have thought he would have gone to these lengths, but it was the only necessary route, the only path he saw before him. He had lost so much, in such a small amount of time. And no one did a thing. America had been left to rot, while everyone just watched.

He had lost everything. Nothing could make up for what he had lost. No amount of money could ever make him happy. There was only one thing he wanted.

He wanted to see Russia in shambles, just as America was right now. He wanted only to have the power to take action and deliver true justice. An eye for an eye, the only form of payment he wanted.

This was the only way it could be done. America had its own problems to deal with back home, they couldn't attack Russia, at least not yet.

They would deliver the first blow. They will be the ones giving what every American wanted. He had prepared himself, and even though he was young, he knew he was ready.

If he had to become a killer, then so be it. If he had to become a terrorist so be it. If he had to be executed for his crimes so be it.

A small ding caused him looked up at the elevator light. _"Only a few more seconds now..."_

He clutched his UMP.45 that hung on his shoulder on a sling, and took a deep breath_, _preparing himself for the road ahead._  
_

He didn't care what the world would view him as, he was the one who knew the real truth.

He was a patriot. Doing only what had to be done.

And this was how it would begin.

* * *

**"Remember..."**

**Yuri R. Vasily**

**11:20 AM, 376 days after Zakhaev Airport attack**

**Moscow State University of Criminology**

**Red Square, Moscow Russia**

_"You may be able to destroy me, but the beast will eventually come for you..."_

-Vladimir Makarov

Yuri Vasily looked out across the large expanse of concrete that was Moscow's famous red square, observing the many historic monuments and buildings that surrounded the area. It was hard to believe that so much history had taken place here. Almost anywhere you looked, you could see something of important value.

The first, the famous St. Basil cathedral, with its unique architecture and design that had gained international status as one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world. It's combination of colors and shapes made it a marvel to look at.

He scanned the square and saw another famous building, the Moscow Kremlin, standing proudly in all its glory, serving as the official residence for the President of Russia, Boris Vorshevsky.

Vasily could only imagine the amount of work President Vorshevsky had at the moment, dealing with a large conflict with the United States and managing a country at the same time. It was something Vasily could only imagine how hard it was. Teaching at a college was nothing compared to running a country. He was certain grading essays was much better then what President Vorshevsky did every day.

Yet, he was still tired, and sick of work. But the day was finally here. It had been a long year, but it was finally over. Students would be returning home and enjoying their summer break, and he would be enjoying his time off as well. As much as he would miss teaching, he would enjoy not having to get up so early in the morning, even if it was for only a summer...

He continued to scan the square and focused in on a large statue sitting in the middle. A man was riding on a horse, holding a sword high in the air and proudly leading his people. The statue had a plaque on this side, describing what the statue meant.

Imran Zakhaev, Hero of New Russia.

He as well many others knew the legend that was Imran Zakhaev. He had become a Martyr throughout Russia, and his death only made him that more famous.

Now he had become a historical figure in Russia, and President Vorshevsky his successor to his legacy. Now the man was trying to complete his dream, a Russia free of the western powers.

It was a dream, at least in his opinion, bleak at best. No matter what your opinion was about America, or any other country for that matter, Russia could prosper with out working hand in hand with Europe and other powers.

Trade and economy was collapsing. People were going out of work and enlisting in the military. He had seen many of his students give up their studies to go and fight in a war that had no meaning to their dreams. Just young men and women, being sent to the slaughter.

This war was no good for anyone. The only people it benefited were the criminals and gangs, using the situation to their advantage to commit more crime and incite more violence.

This country was decaying, no one including a country ever prospers in war. It doesn't matter if your a criminal, a cop, or a president. No one gains anything, and society fails as a whole.

It was only a matter of time, before time caught up with Russia and everyone living in it, including Vasily. Just a matter of time...

But for now, he could enjoy the beginning of summer and his time off. He had looked forward to this day, and he couldn't let the future bother him.

He turned and looked up behind him, seeing the large facade of the GUM department store, one of the largest shopping complexes in Moscow, as well as a famous tourist attraction. He hadn't planned to do anything today, and walking around in a cool air conditioned mall sounded like a nice to do. A peaceful walk was just the thing he need. Maybe if he got bored, he could shop around or get something to eat. He would just simply enjoy the day.

"Hey teach!"

Vasily looked over to see a young girl, a bright smile on her face with a purse at her sides, heading towards the large mall.

Vasily cracked a smile. "I see you didn't waste anytime getting your studies done Audrey."

Audrey giggled. "And I see you didn't waste anytime getting over here Mr. Vasily."

Vasily rubbed his head. "Well, I heard there were some sales today..."

"Thinking about getting something nice for yourself?" Audrey asked.

Vasily shrugged. "I was maybe just going to take a walk, but you never know..."

Audrey playfully hit his shoulder. "Come on! Live a little! This is the summer where talking about!"

Vasily put his hands up in defeat sighed. "All right, all right, I'll get some new shoes or something..."

Audrey smiled. "There you go!"

Vasily rubbed his chin. "Actually, I was thinking about getting one thing..."

Audrey crooked her neck, as if to listening intently.

"What?" She asked, her curiosity high as ever. "Is it a secret?"

Vasily laughed. "Not exactly. I was just thinking about getting contacts."

"Contacts?" Audrey asked, a look of confusion on her face. "Why? You don't even wear glasses."

"Its not for my vision." Vasily explained. "Its for my appearance."

"Oh..." Audrey said, slowly beginning to understand. "Your talking about the coloring."

Vasily nodded. "That's right."

He was referring to the coloration in his eyes. While normal people had two eyes with the same color, he had been born differently. His right eye, an icy blue. His left, a bright green. It was a genetic disorder known as Heterochromia Iridium_, _one that he had had since his birth.

He had always ignored it, not caring about something as trivial as appearance, but he was curious to see what he would look like if he had two eyes of the same color, just like any other normal person. It was just innocent curiosity.

"I think you look fine teach." Audrey said. "In fact, I wouldn't be able to recognize you if you had the same eye colors!"

Vasily smiled and rubbed his head. "Thanks."

"Well, I have to go!" Audrey said, heading towards the door. "I'm meeting someone!"

"Who is he?" Vasily asked playfully.

She blushed and quickly rushed inside the mall. "I'll see you around teach!" She called before vanishing out of sight.

Vasily smiled and shook his head. _"Always on the move..."_

The day wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, so he might as well spend it doing something. Maybe he would get contacts, maybe he wouldn't.

He pushed those thoughts aside and proceeded into the mall. All he wanted to do was enjoy his summer. A nice walk would be something he would enjoy, no problems and not having to work. He would just enjoy life.

Vasily opened the door and proceeded inside. He glanced down at his watch.

It was 11:25 AM.

* * *

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(This is going on the back burner by the way, so don't expect to many updates.)


	3. Past Life

Yuri Vasily walked alone inside the mall, looking at the many shops he passed as he continued along his route. There were so many people and stores, and so much stuff to buy, and so many people buying it. He could only imagine how long it would take someone to go through each store one by one. He would never see him doing that much work in the name of shopping. If he tried to even attempt such a feat, he would literally 'shop till he dropped.'

But there was no need to overwork himself, especially on such a day as today. It was his day to relax. He wouldn't trouble himself with worries of trying to get something done or any kind of work. He would simply enjoy the day. He had promised himself he would.

As he continued to walk along down the mall, his eye caught notice of a small stand selling glasses. Simple reading glasses, or just glasses that did nothing at all, just made you look different. He was thinking about what he had told Audrey, and what she had said about not being able to recognize him if he got contacts that corrected his eye color.

He smiled to himself as he headed to the glasses stand. _"If that's the case, then you'll have a really hard time recognizing me with this..."_

He walked up to the small stand and looked at the variety of glasses that were on display. There were so many colors, styles, and shapes, it was hard to choose. He made it easy for himself and picked out a simple pair of dark rimmed glasses.

"I like to get this." Vasily said, handing the glasses to the stand owner.

"That will be two Rubles." The stand owner said.

Vasily reached into the back pocket and pulled out his leather wallet. He reached in and set two Rubles on the table, paying the shopkeeper.

"Thank you very much." The stand owner thanked, putting the paper money into the register. "You have yourself a good one."

Vasily smiled and took the glasses. "You too."

He walked away from the stand and looked down at the glasses. They wouldn't help his vision at all, but it would definitely make him look different, especially to his students.

He put the glasses on and stared at his reflection in a glass window. He was right. He did look a lot different with glasses, like he was an entirely different person. He only smiled as to what Audrey would say once she saw him wearing them.

_"That will definitely be a good reaction to see..."_ Vasily thought, smiling to himself as he continued walking down the mall.

Suddenly, a sharp pain went to his head, causing him to grab his forehead in pain. The pain was slow at first, but eventually caused him to stop walking altogether and steady himself against a nearby wall.

He had never had such a headache before in his life. He wasn't the type of person who got them, at least not regularly. That being said, he hadn't experienced headaches altogether, but this one was different. It was like it wasn't a headache at all.

He closed his eyes at the pain, trying to make it go away, but he couldn't. It just stayed, piercing his mind and continuing to send a sharp hot pain through his head.

Suddenly, he slowly started to begin hearing voices. It was faint at first, but he soon began to hear them clear as day...

_"Sami Bog..."_

_"Remember, No Russian..."_

The sounds of gunfire and screams sent another pain through his head, causing him to cover his ears in an attempt to block out the sound. But it was to no avail, the gunfire continued to rage.

_"There right on time..."_

_"Check your weapons and ammo..."_

_"I've waited a long time for this..."_

_"Heh, haven't we all..."_

More gunfire and explosions continued to rage, causing him more and more pain. He didn't understand what was going on. He had never heard this before in his life. How the hell could he? He had never fired a gun in nearly twenty years...

Vasily continued to cover his ears in pain. _"What the hell is going on..."_

_"Hold your fire..."_

_"Good you made it, get in!"_

_"We sent a strong message with this attack ...-__"_

_"That was no message..."_

Vasily heard a single gunshot, silencing the gunfire and screams. The pain slowly began to reside and he started to finally recompose himself. As he slowly opened his eyes, he looked around. He was still standing in the mall, just as he had been. Yet he had heard gunfire as if he were right in the middle of a warzone.

He placed a hand to his forehead, whipping away the sweat he hadn't realized he had. He didn't understand what had just happened to him. He had never experienced such a thing in his life...

Vasily took a deep breath and sighed, trying to calm himself down. He quickly shook it off and forgot as soon as it appeared. He didn't want have to worry about things like that on his day off...

* * *

_"11:25 Am..."_ Webb thought to himself as he looked down at his watch. The timing would be perfect. This would be the perfect time for an attack, during the middle of rush hour, when the mall was crowded.

Men. Women. Children. These where his targets. He had been thinking for days about how he could ever bring himself to murder the innocent, how he could kill innocent people. These were the thoughts that went through his head as he waited for the elevator to reach its destination.

He had taken the time to think it through. He wasn't a mass murderer, no matter what people would say. He would never kill anyone in cold blood, no matter what or who the person was. The only way he would ever kill if the circumstances demanded it, if the scenario was just right.

That was this scenario, the one where he would kill, but only if necessary. He would only shoot to defend himself, he would only kill to protect his life. Any one with a bit of sense wouldn't stand in his way. He would play those odds and hope no one tried to be a hero.

He just needed to follow the orders given to him. That's all he needed to do.

Webb looked down at the center of the elevator, staring at the object standing in the middle of it. A sleek black cylinder sat in the center, surrounded by a clear bullet proof case with handles on opposite sides. The entire object weighed at least a few dozen pounds, and could only be carried by two people.

He was one of the few who knew what was in the case. Nerve gas, potent enough to kill anyone standing within a hundred square radius in a contained space.

But this wasn't just any kind of nerve gas. This was going to be their weapon, their ace in the hole. It would all happen because of this simple gas.

He had read about nerve gas and knew its effects very well. A weapon of mass destruction and banned by the Geneva convention as a form of chemical warfare, nerve gas was anything but humane.

Tabun gas, a blinding agent. Sarin gas, a deadly chemical that causes the victim a horrible death by uncontrollable muscle convulsions. And the more deadly Soman gas, a toxic agent that shuts down the entire nerve system itself.

All these horrible weapons, all inhumane and lethal. And they were using one in itself.

But they were different. They were going to create a chemical weapon that was just as lethal, but one was precision instead. The nerve gas they had was a sixth agent of the nerve gas family. Hydrochloric Phosphoric gas. The most deadliest type of nerve gas ever created to date, and he was standing in a small elevator right next to it.

It's effects were lethal, but more 'humane' then its predecessors. Instead of causing the victim intense pain before death, this nerve gas caused the brain to shut down important vital organs, mainly the circulatory systems.

Once the victim is exposed to the agent, it takes only seconds before the brain shuts down the circulatory system. The heart fails, and the victim goes into cardiac arrest. After only a minute, the victim is dead, the cause of death a simple heart attack. The entire process swift and deadly.

But they still wanted to take it a step further, and that what this attack was about. While it would look like an attack to the public, it would actually be an experiment. If it succeeded, then they would be a step closer to their final goal. But it had to succeed...

Webb looked up at the elevator, watching the light travel closer and closer to the main floor. It was time.

"Masks on." One of the men in the elevator ordered. Webb and the two others did as they were told and quickly got their masks on. Webb placed the mask over his face and tightly secured it in a matter of seconds.

"Check your weapons." The man ordered. Webb looked down and checked over his UMP.45, making sure it was loaded and ready to fire. He then reached for his M9 and quickly checked it, making sure it was loaded as well.

There was a silence as everyone waited for the doors to open. Webb looked up at the light. They were only one floor away...

He looked over to Webb and the person standing beside next to him.

"Webb, Williams, get the canister." He ordered.

Webb placed one hand on the right side, grabbing a handle while the other did the same on the opposite side.

The leader turned from Webb to the final person standing in the back.

"Beckett, your with me." He said, looking at the man. "Clear a path and cover the canister."

The man in the back walked up and stood beside him, waiting in front of Webb for the elevators doors to open.

There was a small ding and the elevator doors opened. Webb grabbed one handle and helped carry the gas canister. As they stepped out, the leader placed a finger to his ear piece radio.

"USSA squad #0704, this is Miller. We are a go. Commencing trial one."

Webb, Miller, Williams and Beckett walked out of the elevator, guns drawn, ready to begin the goal of the destruction of Moscow.

* * *

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	4. Eye For An Eye

The crowd was walking, still not taking notice to Webb or the others as they calmly walked out of the elevator. He was carrying his M9 in one hand, the handle of the case in the other. His UMP hung around his neck on its sling, the gun dangling at his stomach.

There were nearly hundreds of people, all cramped and crowded in the large hallway. It took a while for them to notice Webb and the others, but once one person did, many soon stopped talking and turned their attention to the four individuals wearing gas masks and armed with guns.

It seemed like time sat suspended in stillness as Webb looked at the crowd. There was no emotion in their eyes. They just stared blankly back at them, as if they had never seen such a thing before. It was slow at first, but they soon realized what was going to happen.

Loud Gunfire suddenly erupted all around, causing everyone to panic and flee. Webb fired his M9, but he kept his orders in mind. They weren't going to shoot anyone. Just send them running by shooting. As long as they stayed out of the way, there would be no need for him to kill anyone.

Miller stopped firing and turned back to the others, motioning with his head for them to follow.

"Lets move." Miller said, beginning to lead the way, Beckett next to him. Webb picked up the canister with Williams and began to make their way down the shopping complex hallway, towards their goal.

"We only have ten minutes before the FSB gets here, so no delays." Miller said, reminding Webb and the others of their strict time limit.

Webb and the others silently nodded in unison, knowing the dangers far to well if something was to get out of hand. Webb knew how to fight and fire a gun, everyone in the USSA was well versed in the art of warfare. But Webb was no idiot, and neither was Miller. They were no where neared prepared to fight toe to toe with the more heavily armed and well trained FSB troops. They were not even closed to being equipped for such an engagement. Miller and Beckett were armed with military grade M4's, Williams and himself with UMPs but they were no where near the firepower they would need if they wanted to fight.

Fighting just simply wasn't an option here. They hadn't come to fight anyway. They had come to perform a test, nothing else. That was the order. Those were _'his'_ orders...

Webb kept in step behind Miller, shooting off rounds, causing everyone to run away in terror who were close by.

_"If only you knew I was doing you a favor..." _Webb thought to himself, watching men and women continue to flee.

He didn't like killing civilians. The entire thought made him sick. But he had committed himself to this, there was nothing going to stop him now. If this weapon worked out, then they wouldn't have to kill civilians. They could use precision, and never have to put the public in danger. It would work to the USSA's advantage, as well as help his conscious in the end.

Webb took a deep breath and sighed. _"Lets just get this over with..."_

* * *

Vasily's hands were shaking as he hid behind a small shop stand, trying to calm himself down and try to get a handle on the situation.

He carefully looked around the wooden stand, trying to see what was going on, where the bullets and gunfire were coming from.

There were four of them. Two out front, firing high powered rifles, while the other two where holding pistols in one hand, carrying some sort of object in the other. He narrowed his eyes at it, trying to see if he could recognize what the object was. It was a black shiny cylinder, being carried in a clear square case that two of the gunmen where carrying.

Questions flashed through his head._ "What the hell is going on?...Terrorists?...Who are they? What are they trying to do?...Are they some sort of radicals?..."_

He sank back down into his small cover, trying to keep himself out of any harm that could approach him. He wasn't going to die here, not now. He couldn't let them see him, he just had to keep hidden...

He began to formulate why this was happening. As a major and teacher in the field of criminology, these thoughts were always a familiar part of his daily life, teaching students about why criminals act, why they do what they do, the science and psychology of a criminal and how he operates.

That had all been in the classroom though, he had never expected to find himself face to face with a group of terrorists, trying to figure out on the spot why they were doing what they were doing. He wouldn't give it a second thought and not even try to figure it out, but something told him that the knowledge could save his life, as well as many others.

He glanced over the wooden stand again to take another look at the attackers. They were all walking calmly, and in a square formation, two in the front, two close behind. They were wearing gas masks and carrying a black cylinder with them.

It didn't take a major in criminal science to tell that this attack was a chemical one, but what confused Vasily was the fact that not a single person had been killed. Many were running and the gunmen were shooting, but there hadn't been one fatality.

Vasily didn't understand. If this was an attack and they wanted to maximize civilian casualties, why not shoot them? And if this was a chemical attack, why weren't they being discrete and trying to get it in to the ventilation system? It was like they were planning something all different together...

He quickly ducked down as he realized how close they were. He crouched as low as he could and hid himself in desperation, praying that they wouldn't see him. He carefully look over to see a through a small crack, not making a single move.

He watched as the first two past by, closely followed by the other two, carrying the clear case.

Vasily reached into his pocket for his cell phone, his hands still shaking. He flipped it open and quickly dialed for help. He knew he probably wasn't the first, but it helped him calm his already panicked nerves.

He put the phone to his ear, but heard the annoying tone of the line being busy instead. He closed the phone in frustration and covered his ears, still trying to drown out the gunfire.

_"Where are the goddamn police!"

* * *

_Henri Sedusky reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and quickly answering it. He looked at the caller ID to find it to be his sister.

"Irene?" Sedusky asked as he walked briskly back to his car. "Irene, is that you?"

"Henri, are you near a TV right now?" Irene asked over the phone.

"Sorry, a little busy right now." Sedusky replied, quickly getting to his car. He had just received word about some sort of attack coming from the Red square area, and he didn't have time for talk with his sister.

"Well, it might concern you, cause in case you haven't been informed yet, there have been at least three dozen calls to the police in the last five minutes regarding an attack at the GUM shopping complex, so maybe you listen up. "

"Already one step ahead of you." Sedusky replied, turning the ignition. "Heading over there now, got to go."

He quickly hung up the phone and shifted the car into drive. He thought he had heard the last of these kinds of attacks against the public. This type of thing hadn't happen for nearly over a year...

This day was starting to remind him of a nearly similar scenario he had dealt with only a year before. Almost everything was the same. Getting a call about an attack, dodging traffic and trying to get over there, and finding a massacre in front of his eyes. It was just how it happened...

But that was the past, they had stopped that problem for good. But now it seemed a new one had appeared, with just as deadly of a force. He hoped that it wouldn't be as deadly as it was back at Zakhaev International Airport.

_"It couldn't be him...Could it?"

* * *

_"In here, now!"

Miller quickly busted through the doors of a locked sports bar, causing the occupants hiding inside to scream in terror, some cowering in fear while the others putting their hands up in desperation. Webb quickly entered through the wooden doors and carried the case holding the gas cylinder inside. He knocked over the chairs and table in the middle of the bar and carefully help set down the case.

"Everyone on their knees!" Miller yelled in Russian, causing everyone to drop to their knees with their hands on their head.

Webb watched as Miller turned back to the others, his M4 still drawn on the numerous people on their knees in surrender.

"Beckett, get the cylinder out. Webb, Williams, watch the door, will be done here in five." Miller ordered.

He turned back to the civilians, all still on their knees, waiting nervously. Miller fired a round as he approached them, causing everyone one to yell in unison.

"You have one minute to get exactly twenty people against this wall, and another twenty on the opposite side." Miller ordered in Russian as he continued to train his weapon on them.

"Now!" Miller yelled, causing everyone to quickly get up and scramble to meet his demands.

As the people rushed to get against the walls, Webb looked to see Miller and Beckett pull out a two small syringes, brand new and never before used. He was only one of four in this room that knew the purpose of the syringes. While they may not look like much at a first glance, in reality, they were the entire key to the whole operation.

DNA. They needed a person's DNA. The nerve gas was deadly, but it was harmless unless you had the DNA of the person. After they had it and entered it in the data base on the side of the cylinder, the gas would synthesize and be potent to only the people it had been programmed to kill.

The devastation of a biological weapon. With the precision of a sniper's bullet. If the test was a success, then they wouldn't have to kill civilians. They could target important political figures, or anyone trying to stand in their way. They could anyone in the entire city of Moscow hostage, and kill who ever they choose. But only as long as they had their DNA, and the person's name to confirm it.

He knew it was horrible, but this would save many innocent lives in the end anyway. That way, they could achieve their goals quicker, and not by such barbaric and inhumane means. But you can't make omelets without breaking a few eggs...

Webb glanced back behind him. He was watching Miller and Beckett taking samples of peoples blood and demanding their ID, trying to get their name. Webb continued to watch the front, anxious to get out and try to escape. He knew the FSB had to be on their way by now, and he didn't want to be around when they did.

Webb gripped his UMP, waiting nervously _"Come on...Hurry up...Hurry up..." _

* * *

Vasily was still cowering behind the stand, not wanting to move a muscle until he absolutely knew he was safe. He didn't understand why this was happening. There was only one person he could even remotely think of being behind such an attack, and he was killed almost a year ago. It didn't make since to him.

He carefully got up, still worried that the attackers could be back at any moment, or the fact that they could release what ever was in the canister they were carrying. He didn't want to risk running into more life threatening confrontations then he had to in one day. This was more then enough for him.

He looked around, trying to find the closest exit. _"If I'm fast, I can get out of here before they even have a chance to anything...I just need to find an-_

"How long are you going to stand like that?"

Vasily looked around in surprise to see a young girl wearing a dress staring at him. She was young, no older then nineteen or twenty, with light gray hair and gray eyes to match. She had a calm, almost bored expression across her face, and looked quite relaxed for what was happening.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vasily hissed, staring at the young girl in shock. He couldn't believe that she could act all cool and calm while this was taking place. She was going to get herself killed.

She replied by doing something just as shocking. She pulled a small rubix cube from her pocket and began to play with it, turning the small cube in an attempt to solve it.

"You really have changed." She said, continuing to play with the cube. "Vladimir..."

* * *

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	5. Past Acquaintances

Webb could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance, only reminding him of the increasing and approaching danger that would soon be confronting them if they didn't hurry up. They were good as dead if they were to make a mistake now, there would be nothing they could do if they ran out of time.

He looked over his shoulder anxiously. _"Come on Miller, Hurry up..."_

Finally, Webb gave a sigh of relief as the two finally finished and went back to the gas canister. Miller quickly began to enter in the information, placing the vial of blood in the canister, and entering in all the names.

After what seemed to Webb like an eternity, Miller finally finished, pulling out a small remote trigger and arming the gas container.

"Were done." Miller declared. "Lock all the doors, we can get out through the back."

Webb jumped over the bar and followed him out with Beckett and Williams close in line. The sirens were getting louder, and he was anxious to get as far away from this place as he possibly could.

"Relax." Miller said to Webb, noticing how jumpy he was becoming. "Were still on schedule."

Webb nodded and sighed, clutching his weapon and quickly following him out the door. When they had all finally gotten through, Miller closed the door shut and locked it from the outside. He broke the handle with the butt of his M4 for further security, and the handle fell to the ground, the door impossible to open.

"Were done here." Miller declared, heading for the exit. "Lets get back to the van."

As Webb and the others followed him, he reached for the small trigger and put a hand to his earpiece radio.

"Trial one, now commencing."

He pressed the trigger and there was a hissing of releasing gas from the other side of the door. Webb could hear the panicked and desperate screams from the other side, the men and women still trapped behind the locked doors. He kept his eyes forward, trying to ignore the horrible sounds coming from the other side as he walked toward the exit.

_"I did what I had to do..."

* * *

_

Vasily had never been so stumped before in his life. He didn't understand what the girl was saying. She didn't make since at all, like she was talking to an different person all together entirely. He had never seen her before in her life, yet she talked to him like the two had known each other for years. It didn't make a bit of sense.

Vasily gave her a confused look. "What did you say?"

"I just said your name." The girl replied. "Vladimir..."

Vasily became even more confused. "I'm sorry Miss, but your mistaken. I can help you find this person, but you really need to-

"I'm not mistaken." She replied, looking very cross. "I never forget a face."

Vasily just sighed and shook his head. _"This girl just doesn't know when to quit..."_

"I'm not 'quitting' because I know who you are." She replied, causing Vasily even more shock at her response.

He was so confused. He wasn't in the mood to play games, especially in a situation like this. This girl was beginning to get on his nerves, even if she was young and naive.

"All right." Vasily said, playing along putting as much sarcasm as he could. "So who am I really? Please, I'm dying to know."

"Vladimir Makarov." She said abruptly, still continuing to work on her puzzle.

Vasily froze at the words, in shock at the answer he received. _"What!...Is she crazy!"_

"Not entirely.." She replied, causing Vasily to look up in surprise. "But I like to see my self as more of a smart person then a crazy one."

Vasily narrowed his eyes. "Alright, enough of this. I'm getting out of here and your coming with me. When we get to the police, they can help you-

"I don't think so." She said simply, causing Vasily even more shock and frustration.

"What?"

"How about this." She started, reaching for her pocket.

Vasily watched as she put the rubix cube in her pocket and to his complete shock, pulled out a gun, pointing at Vasily.

"We are getting out of here." She said, the gun still pointed at him. "But your coming with me instead."

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Theres an easy way and a hard way." She said in a calm voice. "Its your choice."

Vasily took a step back in fear. He couldn't believe a young girl was holding him at gunpoint, and he had know idea why. What was so important about him? Was she working for some criminal organization, and he was the target of a kidnapping? He could never see this girl as a criminal, not based on what he knew about the field. She looked so calm and innocent, it was the last person he would expect to do something like this. But the truth was right before his eyes, the proof was in the fact that he was staring down a gun.

"Look just calm down." Vasily said in a slightly panicked tone, raising his hands in the air, slowly backing up. "I don't know what you want, but I'm sure we-

"You can shut up." She answered simply. "And you can come with me."

Vasily clenched his fists, trying to think of a way out of this. He knew stalling could only work as long as it would, so he had to think of something else, fast. He knew there was little chance of talking her out of it, as she looked like there was nothing he could say anyway. She was insane, there was no doubt about it in his mind.

"This is your last chance." She said, pistol still raised. "Your call."

Vasily torn off into a sprint. "Get the hell away from me!" He ran as fast as he could, not knowing or caring where he was going. He just wanted to get as far away from her, and this place as soon as possible. No way had he wanted to experience this hell again.

He kept himself moving forward, not looking back to see if the girl was trying to catch him. He hadn't heard the sounds of gunfire, but he still dodged left and right in an desperate attempt to lose her.

He slammed through a maintenance door and sprinted down a long abandoned hallway, trying to put as much distance as possible between the mysterious girl. He didn't even know where he was heading as he continued down the maze of corridors. Fear just drove him further and further away, his goal as far away from her as possible.

He rounded a corner when he suddenly collided with another person. The collision sent Vasily and the man he had run into hard to the ground. As he slowly recovered, he looked up to see who he run into.

A man with reddish brown hair and a tan coat was sitting in the corridor. He was rubbing his head in pain from the recent collision, his eyes closed in pain. As he opened them, he looked at Vasily with a look of shock and surprised happiness.

"Makarov!" The man said, a smile on his face. "Makarov, is that really you?"

Vasily backed away from the man in fear. _"What the hell is happening? First that girl, now this man? Why?"_

"Makarov, its me." The man said, extending a hand. "Anatoly, don't you remember?"

Vasily stood up and took a step back in fear, not knowing if this man was in the same league as that girl, or if he was someone all different together. It was like he had known him for years as well, just like the girl. But he had never met either of the two in his life.

What if they were in league with the group of terrorists that had attacked the mall? If so, he could be in huge danger, but what did they want with him? He wasn't an active member of any counter criminal agency or anything like that. He only taught the subject, he didn't practice it. He couldn't see what reason they would want him for, it made no since.

"I don't know you." Vasily said, taking another step back. "My name is Yuri Vasily!"

The man narrowed his eyes and sighed. "I guess Elena was right after all..."

"Elena?" Vasily asked slowly. "What are you-

There was a sharp blow to the back of Vasily head, his vision slowly fading out as he fell to the ground. His ears were ringing and he was beginning to lose consciousness, he breathing getting shallow and short. He glanced up to the man to see him looking at another person, standing behind Vasily, no doubt the person who had delivered the blow to his head.

"Jeez Victor..." Anatoly said, looking down at Vasily. "I could have at least talked him into it."

"Elena already tried that." The man replied. "And if she couldn't do it, then there was no point in trying again. Besides, this is easier anyway."

Anatoly sighed. "If you say so..."

Vasily's eyes were slowly fluttering, he body beginning to give in and black out. He closed his eyes and listened as he drifted off into unconsciousness.

"Lets get him out of here before the police show up." Victor instructed. "Then we can wake him up from there..."

* * *

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	6. Patriots

The van finally came to a halt as Webb opened his eyes, having dozed off from the small journey back to the safehouse. They were still in Moscow, but the small drive was more the enough time then he needed for a nap, even if it only was a little one.

He reluctantly brought himself up to his feet and followed Miller and the others out through the back and into the small alley. The narrow street was littered with trash and the walls were dotted with graffiti. This was Moscow's poverty district, where crime was a part of daily life and violence and gangs were just around the corner. It was the perfect place to live if you wanted to avoid any attention from the police, which is exactly what they wanted.

Webb followed Miller and the others at a brisk pace down a metal flight of steps that went down into the basement of a old apartment building. Miller stopped at a metal door and produced a small set of keys. He reached for a small silver one and turned the key into the lock. There was a small click and he quickly turned the knob, opening the door and proceeding into the safehouse.

Webb stepped in and exhaled a sigh of relief. Even though he was miles from New York, this was the one place he could call his real home. It was beaten, out of shape, and dingy. The paint from the walls were peeling and old out of date furniture was easily familiar. But they had a safe, quiet roof over their heads, and that was more then enough for him.

Webb took his light coat off and hung it on the couch. He was fatigued, tired, and anxious. Anxious to hear if their endeavor was a success. The police would be baffled once they would find what happened at the mall. They would have no answers to a public that was demanding them. And once the public realized that they didn't have them, then fear would soon creep in, seizing the city and sending it into chaos.

Internal Chaos that the government would have to deal with. Such a distraction was just the thing the United States needed to turn this war around and finally end it once and for all. Only when the American flag is flying over the Kremlin, is when the war would be over, and this madness would finally end.

But there was so much work to do before then. So much work, and only a small amount of time...

Webb sighed and sat down on the couch. He would worry about things like that when the time came. For now, he could just relax.

He watched their leader put his pistol on the table and take off his gloves, setting them on the table and sighing.

Nathaniel Miller. The one person Webb trusted and was suspicious towards at the same time. He was the squad leader, and the oldest of their four person group. He had white swept back hair and pale icy blue eyes of a fox that would send a chill down Webb's spine when he look over at him. He was calm, cool and collected, and always preferred using quiet force to deal with whatever problems where in his way.

But at the same time, Webb knew his was a good leader, even if he was a little arrogant towards others that were underneath his social class. Webb knew that he was a good leader, and he knew it too.

"I'm going to change and take a shower." Miller said, walking down the hallway. "I need to get this 'stench' off of me."

Webb watched as Miller disappeared down the hallway and out of sight. He always took a shower after he had to do any dirty work. Webb wondered why, but over time, he had concluded it had to do with his whole attitude of him being elite. He couldn't stand having himself at the same level as Webb or any other person like him. It was just how the man was, arrogant and proud...

"Guess who!" A voice said as two hands covered suddenly covered Webb's eyes, causing him to see only pitch black in front of him.

Webb sighed, already knowing the identity of who the voice belonged too. "Clay, what are you doing?"

His vision reappeared and a young slender man appeared in front of him. He had simple clean cut brown hair and dark brown eyes to match, with a sly smirk across his face, one that Webb had seen countless times over and over.

Clay Beckett. Nearly five years older then Webb and the two got along like he was his older brother. Always playing tricks on him, always teasing him, always trying to beat him at everything, and Webb had lived with it for over a year now. But still, he had tolerated it and the two had become thick as thieves, even though they would sometimes verbally spar over the most pointless things, usually things Clay would bring up. Like playing guess who...

"What?" Clay asked, giving Webb a innocent look. "You never play that game?"

"Ya, when I was two." Webb replied as Clay dropped down on the couch next to him. "Whats with you?"

"I don't know." Clay sighed. "I guess I'm just bored..."

"You always seem bored."

"Well..." Clay started, smiling to himself. "Not always..."

"I can attest to that."

Webb and Clay glanced to see the familiar face of the final member of their small squad, a young women with dark hair and dark eyes. She was older then Clay, and much more mature then him as well, but she, just like Webb, was still young. Tall and slender, Chloe Williams was a person Webb had been literally scared of when they first met. She looked cold and menacing like Miller, but inside, she was caring and warm, but only when she needed to be. Webb was surprised to find a girl in all of this, it was the last thing he would think of meeting. But these times were surprising in themselves, and he shouldn't be surprised with small things like that.

Webb knew Chloe Williams was no push over either. She could easily outrun and win any fight or argument between him and Clay, even physically. Webb didn't think of her as a 'tomgirl', and she definitely didn't look like one to begin with. She just looked soft and gentle on the outside. Just give her a book and a pencil, and she would look like a normal college student attending a university. Hell, give him or Clay a textbook, and it wouldn't look out of place. They were all young, all still in their twenties, and here they were, fighting an underground war in the middle of Moscow. Times had definitely changed.

Clay met Chloe's glare with a halved grin. "Nice to see you two, 'Chlo'. "

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Likewise...'Bucket'."

Clay's smile quickly turned to a sour frown as Chloe smiled to herself, knowing that she was getting on his nerves. As much as Clay loved to teased, he hated to be teased himself. It was a weakness that Chloe, and Webb, took advantage of on many occasions.

"Your not tired?" Webb asked, noticing Chloe not sitting down and relaxing.

"You know me Matt." She replied. "I'm always restless."

"Insomnia?" Webb asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, I wouldn't go that far."

She leaned against the far wall and sighed. "I guess after doing this stuff for so long gets to you after awhile, ya know?"

Webb bowed his head and silently nodded. "Ya, I know..."

"So whats the deal with this attack?" Clay asked, straightening himself. "I mean, there are nearly hundreds and hundreds of squads scattered around the city just like ours, and yet they pick us to drag a gas container into a mall. Why us?"

Webb shrugged. "Orders are orders. Besides, it wasn't meant to be an attack, remember?"

Clay sighed. "Ya... Right..."

"I wish they would stop targeting he public with these attacks." Chloe said. "I mean, it would make more since to target politicians then innocent women and children."

Webb nodded in agreement. "i was thinking the same thing... But..."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "But what, Matt?"

"It's just, I don't know how were supposed to send a message if the public doesn't feel itself threatened. I mean, I know it's bad, and I don't like it as much as you. But don't you remember? Our country was attack, our homes burned to the ground. Do you think anyone of those people at the mall cared about us while we sat in make shift army tents and ate dried military rations?"

"Its more then that Matt..." Chloe started, her voice starting to raise.

"Yes, Its more then that."

The trio look over to see Nathaniel Miller standing off to the side, his arms crossed. Webb could feel his pale blue eyes piercing right through him, causing him to shutter.

"While you may not see the importance of it, what we have just done is initiated the beginning of the destruction of Moscow." Miller said, pacing over to his laptop. "And while it may not seem apparent yet, it will be soon enough."

Webb watched as Miller opened the white laptop and turned it on. He set it on the coffee table in front of the couch. Webb stared at the white, blank screen of the lab top, already knowing what they were doing. They were going to contact the person who had given them the order. They were going to contact 'him.'

The leader of the United Sovereign States of America. The commander of the USSA...

"He'll give us all the answers we need when the time comes." Miller said, watching the screen. "Until then, we follow his orders until otherwise."

Webb looked to see the bright blank screen turn to a light navy blue.. The only thing on the screen was a word imprinted in bold white. The word read PATRIOT.

The Patriot. No one knew the identity of their leader. No one knew his name, or where is was. They didn't know his age, what he looked like, or where he was from. He didn't have a name, he was just known as the Patriot.

A radical name, for a radical leader. It was one that gave an image, as well as masking one at the same time. No one knew how he did it, but he had somehow assembled an army willing to fight in anyway shape or form, no matter what the order was. The only clue anyone had was the card Webb had found nearly a year ago.

_Shadow Company_

_Lieutenant General Shepherd._

It was the only thing that provided any light on the mystery that was the identity of that man. Webb wondered if anyone was searching for The Patriot's identity, and if any one had found him yet. These were questions he could only wonder as he looked at the name on the lab top. Patriot...

"This is Miller, commander of squad #0704." Miller declared to the laptop. "We have carried out the attack, as per your instructions."

An digitally altered voice answered him. "Good. Any problems commander Miller?"

"None." Miller replied. "Everything went according to plan. We should know the results in a couple of days once the police have released news to the public regarding the attack."

"Understood." The Patriot replied. "Until then, you are to stand by until further orders are given to you. Is that understood commander Miller?"

"Understood." Miller replied.

"Then I will contact you in three days. That is all."

"Liberty through Patriotism." The Patriot recited.

"Liberty through Patriotism." Webb and the others repeated in unison, reciting the USSA's motto.

The screen flashed and the words Patriot were replaced by the blank screen once again.

* * *

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	7. Investigations

The hallways of the GUM Supermarket complex were surprising silent for the first time in ages. Not a single shopper or sale person could be seen, giving the place an eerie feel to it. It was always weird to Sedusky when a large place like this that was supposed to be populated and occupied didn't have a single soul in it. It felt like he was in another world, like this place was cut off from everything else around it. Like it was something else entirely...

But he knew it wasn't that simple, it never was. This was Moscow's GUM supermarket, and it had been turned into a shooting gallery. Bullet casings littered the floor, bullet holes and broken pieces of glass could be seen everywhere. But what puzzled Sedusky was the fact that there was not a single person shot, not a single drop of blood spilled.

This very scene and scenario reminded him of a similar attack that had happened only over a year ago. A public place was turned into a bloody killzone, and a massacre had been right in front of his eyes.

Nearly hundreds of casualties, dozens of injuries, and a permanent message imprinted forever in Russian history. It was a day he would never forget.

But this was entirely different. Instead of gunmen shooting innocent people, then had intentionally missed them all, like they weren't even trying. It was almost a shallow attempt to shock people rather then kill them. But he had heard that there had been casualties. It was only a matter of time before he would find them walking around here.

"Inspector Sedusky?"

Sedusky turn around to see a blond haired man clad in a police uniform standing in front of him. He had a clipboard in one hand, and a small two way radio in the other.

"Yes?" Sedusky answered, turning to meet the man.

"I'm Officer Jerome Garder of the Moscow Police Force." Garder introduced, offering his hand.

"Inspector Henri Sedusky, Investigation Bureau." Sedusky replied, shaking the officers hand.

"So, you just get here?" Garder asked.

"I had been outside talking with a few eyewitnesses before I entered." Sedusky explained. "I hadn't seen the crime scene itself yet."

Garder nodded. "I understand. Let me take you there, we can talk as we walk."

Sedusky followed Garder down the still large hallway, passing stores and shops with bullet holes riddled along their sides.

"So, what happened?" Sedusky asked, looking at all the damage.

"We got a call about some guys shooting up the place, you know the whole drill." Garder replied. "But by the time we got here, the gunmen were long gone."

"Any leads?"

"Other then what little we have at the crime scene, nothing much." Garder replied. "We might know more later today, but you never know."

"Have the gunmen been identified?" Sedusky asked.

"The only thing we got were four names that we picked up on the security cameras." Garder answered. "Other then that, nothing. They had their identity concealed."

"What were the names?" Sedusky asked as the two stopped at the entrance to a sports bar.

"I believe it was Williams, Beckett, Webb and Miller." Garder replied.

"Last names. And all American?"

"I wouldn't doubt it, but who's to say those are their real names, and if there American."

"But if they are..." Sedusky started.

Garder paused, tilting his head in deep thought. "Then it would most likely be an attack from 'them'."

Sedusky nodded, already knowing what Officer Garder was talking about.

He should have known something like this was bound to happen. Given the recent events, everyone should have been expecting it. You can't just invade another country without expecting some consequences, and not just some directly related to war.

American Terrorists. The United Sovereign States of America, or USSA for short. A radical group bent on one thing: The complete and utter destruction of Chaos, and the death of President Vorshevsky. It was a goal that he knew numerous Americans secretly wanted, but only a few were willing to take action.

That was the USSA. A group that would take that action. Sedusky knew that they were real and dangerous, even if the government tried to deny their existence in a false attempt to keep an already panicked public from becoming more out of control. They were striking when they were most weak, and they knew it too. It was a real threat, and would quickly threaten everyone if action wasn't taken.

But the government was dealing with it's own problems. The police force had been cut significantly to help boost the military, and most work was focused on the current Russo-American War, rather then some radical group in Moscow. Priorities were set on somewhere else at the moment.

So it was up to him and the few others to stop any attack before it happened, apprehend nearly hundreds and hundreds of members scattered throughout this city, and bring the USSA's leader to justice.

The Patriot. The radical leader that was the leader of the USSA. No one knew his identity, the government had even stated that the Patriot didn't even exist. It was just another attempt to cover up an already growing threat. Whoever the Patriot was, he or she has the time and the resources to organize and direct a large number of people to carry out coordinated attacks around the city. They operated with unrivaled military precision and effectiveness. And by the time the police or anyone had shown up, they were gone, seemingly vanished. Just like shadows...

It was a growing threat, one that had to be dealt with soon if they wanted to stop anymore deaths. The Patriot was an unknown, an enigma, one that no one could find or stop. He was smart, dangerous, and above all, determined. This attack was just one message his was trying to send to everyone, and it's objective was clear. No was safe, no matter who you were or where you are. Whether you were in a dark alley, or a large public shopping complex, you could never be safe. It would cause everyone to become paranoid, and combined with the war, it would hurtle Moscow into chaos.

Just as the Patriot wanted. Just want the USSA wanted. What Sedusky and everyone living in Moscow feared.

_"Total Chaos...Riots in the streets...Panic and no order..." _Sedusky thought to himself, answering his own thoughts.

"Well, here it is."

Sedusky snapped out of his mind of thoughts and looked up to see Garder standing by the entrance to the sports bar, his hand on the handle.

"Its just behind this door." Garder said opening the door.

Sedusky and Garder step through the bar's entrance and into the sport's bar. Sedusky looked to see what he had been expecting to see when had first arrived.

Bodies littered the floor, sprawled all around in different positions. Death was all around him, it's all to familiar and gruesome calling card staring him right in the face. It was a sight he had become all to familiar too, and one he wished didn't have to see. It was something he hated about his job, but it was something he was prepared for.

There were numerous bodies scatted around, and at the center, was a sleek black cylinder. It was standing silently over the dead, like an executioner watching over its victims. It was no doubt, the cause of the deaths.

"Chemical?" Sedusky asked, looking at the cylinder.

"That's right." Garder replied. "It was a type of nerve gas."

"I see..."

_"Chemical huh...It seems like the USSA are trying out something new...Trying new ways to kill others...But why did they limit it to just one room? It would make more sense to release the gas in the mall's ventilation system rather a sports bar..."_

"So they released the gas in just one room?" Sedusky asked.

"Ya, but that's not the puzzling thing."

Sedusky raised an eyebrow. " What do you mean?"

"There were a total of forty people in the sports bar when the gas went off." Garder explained. "But..."

Garder paused, closing his eyes in thought. Sedusky gave him a puzzled look.

"But what Officer?" Sedusky asked.

Garder took a deep breath and sighed.

"Only twenty were killed."

Sedusky was put into a silent state of shock. _"What? But how..."_

He didn't understand. How the hell could a chemical gas kill only some people, but at the same time, leave others unharmed? It was something he had never heard of, like it was something out of science fiction. How the hell could such a gas exist? How did the Patriot acquire such a weapon? Did they have more of this?

"This is the container they used for the gas." Sedusky said, looking at the black cylinder.

"Ya." Garder replied, staring over at the gas container. "But I don't think its going to shed any light on this mystery..."

"What do you mean?"

"After the cylinder dispensed the gas, the thing self destructed internally." Garder explained. "Anything we might have learned from it, would have been destroyed..."

Garder sighed. "And on top of that, the surveillance camera's in the bar were shut off, so we couldn't see what was happening during the release."

Garder shook his head. "Twenty people dead...The attackers gone...Not a single lead to go on..."

Sedusky closed his eyes and shook his head. _"This is even worse then the Airport attack..."_

"What were the names again?" Sedusky asked. "The ones that the security camera's picked up."

Garder paused, thinking to himself, trying to remember the names.

"Miller. Williams. Beckett." Garder answered. "And Webb."

_"Miller, Williams, Beckett, and Webb..." _Sedusky thought to himself. _"These four names are the only leads we have..."_

If he was ever to have a chance of stopping the USSA and finding the Patriot, he would have to work around the clock in finding them. He had to in order to stop this from happening again. Who knows what they could do if they had more of this gas. It was to great of a danger to ignore. They had to stop the Patriot, once and for all.

_"Miller, Williams, Beckett, and Webb..." _Sedusky repeated in his head, continuing to stare at the puzzling scene in front of him.

* * *

Matthew Webb was laying on his back, staring up at the clouds that dotted the sky. They were so peaceful, floating around the sky above the world, not giving a care looking down on him. It seemed like only yesterday he was looking up at similar clouds in the sky. But instead of staring up at a sky from his home, he was laying on top of an old apartment building roof in the middle of Moscow, trying to get some rest and relaxation.

"Hey Matt." Clay asked, laying beside him.

"What?"

"Have you ever wondered who the Patriot is?"

Webb took a moment to ponder the question. He had never really taken any thought to. The Patriot to him was more of an ideal, a figure representing everyone who wanted to take action against Russia, but ones not having the ability to do so. The Patriot was much more then a leader to him, he was an idea, one that he followed. Many would try and stop him, but in the end, they would all fail, it just was impossible. The Patriot was an ideal. You can never kill an ideal. He knew this as a fact.

"I don't know." Webb replied. "I guess it really hasn't crossed my mind."

"But aren't you even a bit curious?" Clay asked.

Webb just shrugged. "Like I said, I haven't really given it much thought..."

"But you have to be a little curious." Clay said, continuing to push the subject. "Haven't you ever wondered the great mystery that is the Patriot?"

Webb smiled to himself. "I guess I am a little curious." He admitted.

"I wonder if it's someone we know..." Clay said, looking off to the distance.

Webb closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sure it is..."

"Jeez Matt, give me a break."

"Serious, someone we would know?" Webb asked, trying to make it sound like a joke as he could.

"Well, what do you think?" Clay asked, glaring at Webb.

Webb paused, trying to think. Who would he think the Patriot would be? It was just like he said, he hadn't given it any thought, as it wasn't a big thing on his mind, but lately...

Lately, he had been wondering, what if someone did discover the Patriot's identity? What if someone put the name to the Patriot, and they arrested him? Who would lead them? Would they even last? Even if there was a small chance that they discovered who the Patriot was, what would happen? Just thinking about the scenario and Clay's questions just made him wonder...

"Clay, what are you saying?" Webb asked slowly.

"What if we found out who the Patriot was?" Clay explained. "What would happen if we knew who he was?"

Webb laughed. "What if its a girl?"

Clay shook his head. "I'm no sexist, but I just can't see that..."

Webb smiled. "I think it would be a turn on for me..."

"But serious Matt, just hear me out." Clay said, sitting up. "What if we searched for the Patriot, on our own."

Webb raised an eyebrow. "What would we gained from that?"

"Well it would satisfy our curiosity." Clay explained. "And give us a little insurance."

"Insurance?" Webb asked, still not having a clue were Clay was going with this.

"I don't know about you, but..." Clay started, briefly pausing. "I don't trust the Patriot..."

Webb raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

"I just feel...expendable..."

Webb eyes closed, thinking about what Clay said. _"Now that he mentions it, I would feel the same way. Taking orders from someone who doesn't show their identity to you doesn't make them that trust worthy..."_

"So your saying if we found the Patriot, we would be safer?" Webb asked.

"Well, we would be better off if we didn't know."

Webb took time to think about Clay's theory. It would make more since for someone to know the identity of their attacker if they ever became a threat. In the unlikely event that the Patriot ever became a threat to them, it would make since if they tried to discover him, to figure out who they were, and have something in their advantage. It wasn't much, but it would be something they could use.

"So you want to find the Patriot?" Webb asked.

Clay smiled. "I think it would be a lot of fun."

Webb narrowed his eyes. "Clay, we could be lined up against a wall and shot if we we're discovered. It would be dangerous."

"True, but don't you think it would be even more dangerous if the Patriot was trying to kill us?"

"He'll try to kill us if we look for him!"

"But only if he finds out."

Webb sighed. There was no point in arguing with Clay. If he had his mind set on something, he was going to do it. He was stubborn, it was plain and simple as that.

But he words did have truth to them. If they could discover who the Patriot was, then maybe it would help them in the long run. It would be hard and difficult, but Webb knew that if they worked at it, they could do it.

They were going to find the Patriot.

* * *

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	8. Rebirth

Yuri Vasily opened his eyes to the unknown. His head was throbbing in pain and his vision was still blurred. It took him a while to focus, but eventually he found himself staring up at a searing hot blinding light. He squinted his eyes and tried to shield himself with his hand, but he found it impossible to move. He turned his head to look and found his hand handcuffed to a metal pole. He looked around to find the rest of his limbs all in the same predicament: Immobilized and impossible to move, each one secured by metal handcuffs.

He looked around his surroundings in a panic, trying to figure out where the hell he was, and why he was here.

_"What the hell is going on! Where the hell am I?"_

He tried to think back to the last thing he remembered, trying to see if could help shed any light on what was going on. It was a blur, it happened too fast for him to see. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, trying to remember even a second before he lost consciousness.

_"There was that girl, and that man..."_ Vasily thought to himself. _"And then there was the other man behind me..."_

Suddenly, it finally came to him. He remembered fleeing and running away, then being cornered and knocked out before he could do anything. After that, he had black out.

He didn't know what time it was our how long he had been out. He didn't even know why he was here in the first place. Why would he be here? He wasn't a high value target or anything, he just couldn't see why terrorists would want him, out of everyone. When did he become a target?

Vasily took a deep breath and sighed. _"Just stay calm...You can do this...You just have to stay calm..."_

"Looks like your finally awake."

Vasily was startled by sudden voice and quickly turn his head towards the source. He recognized the face instantly.

It was the same girl that he had met briefly at the market, the same on that had held him at gunpoint, and threatened him to comply with her orders, or else. He still didn't know what she wanted with him, it didn't make a single bit of sense to him at all.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Vasily demanded angrily, struggling against the handcuffs. "I don't even know you!"

The girl sighed. "You really don't know who you are anymore, don't you Vladi-

"That's not my goddamn name!" Vasily yelled, his anger boiling. "For the last time, its Yuri Vasily!"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "I'm never mistaken."

"First time for everything." Vasily spat, glaring up at her in anger.

She responded by simply shrugging and walking towards a nearby table, back turned and calmly humming to herself.

"Answer my question." Vasily repeated. "What do you want from me?"

"We made a deal." She replied, looking over the table. "And you still haven't fulfilled your end of the bargain."

"A deal?" Vasily repeated, confused. "What the hell are you saying?"

She sighed and grabbed something off the table. "It would take to long to explain it too you, and you probably just say I'm crazy anyway..."

Vasily narrowed his eyes. "I already think your crazy."

She shrugged again. "This way is easier anyway..."

"This way?"

Vasily looked to see a syringe in her hands, a clear red liquid suspended inside. He didn't have a clue what it was, or what purpose it served. It wasn't any type of medicine or drug he had ever seen.

He eyes widened in fear when he realized that she started walking towards him, the syringe in her hand.

"Get the hell away!" Vasily yelled, trying to move his arms in legs in vain.

"You might feel a tiny little prick." She said, ignoring his attempts to free himself.

Vasily's eyes widened in terror. _"What the hell is happening to me?"_

She placed her hand calmly on his wrist and held it surprising firm. he couldn't move, no matter what he tried. He was either too tired or too in shock to do anything. All he could do was watch as she raised the needle only inches above his skin.

"Time to wake up, Makarov..."

She injected the syringe and Vasily's mind went blank, every sight and sound around him blurred and twisted. The last thing he saw was the girl's face as he finally gave out and stopped breathing.

Then absolute darkness.

Nothing.

There was nothing, except the sound of a single gunshot.

* * *

The gunshot echoed, Makarov and Sedusky still standing, guns drawn. A single bullet had flown through the air, perfectly hitting his target. Not a single person moved.

Makarov looked from Sedusky down at his shaking hand, Shepherd's pistol had fallen to the ground, the silver barrel covered in his blood. His looked towards his trembling hand, a wound gushing bright red blood was beginning to drip to the ground.

Makarov slowly looked over to where the shot had come from. He hadn't fired the shot. Neither had Sedusky. Instead, he looked to see Anya, her pistol still smoking from the recent gunshot.

Makarov clenched his teeth and grabbed his hand in pain. "Anya you fucking idiot!" Makarov screamed. "Who do you think your shooting at!"

Her eyes filled with tears, stepping back in fear. She dropped her pistol to the ground. Makarov's eyes continued to fill with anger.

"Pick up your weapon and kill him!" Makarov shrieked, glaring in anger at her. "Kill him now!"

Anya stood still and silent, trembling in horror at what she had done. Makarov looked down at his wound on his hand. The pain was overwhelming, his entire hand burning in pain that the bullet had caused.

"You fucking traitor!" Makarov yelled, pulling out his knife, beginning to limp towards her.

"No!" Sedusky yelled, pointing his gun at Makarov.

Sedusky fired his pistol rapidly at Makarov gunshots going off in rapid succession. He was thrown back from the impact, flailing in a different direction from each shot fired. Makarov screamed out in pain as the each bullet torn through him, sending him backwards. Sedusky continued to fire until his pistol was finally empty. Makarov fell to the ground hard, blood beginning to flow from the wounds.

Makarov couldn't feel anything. He tried to move, but the strength wasn't there. He could only move his chest, his breathing shallow and rapid, blood coughing out of his mouth.

He coughed up blood. "D-Damn you..." He could hardly breathe. His entire body was in shock. There was nothing he could do.

"Anatoly!" Makarov cried out. "Victor! Where are you!"

There was no reply. Anatoly wasn't coming. Neither was Victor. He had no more options. No more plans. There were no more moves left. This was finally checkmate...

"There has to be someone..." Makarov sobbed quietly. "Anyone...What do I do now?..."

He looked weakly over to see Anya running away, fleeing off into the desert. She soon disappeared out of sight, leaving Makarov alone and dying. He looked up to see Sedusky, slowly walking up to him.

_"Nina..."_

Makarov closed his eyes, just thinking about her. Why could he see her one last time? Why, after all he had been though, just see her now, before he died._  
_

He opened his eyes looked up with all his strength, his vision blurred. Everything was impossible to see, except for one person, one he could believe was standing above him.

It was his sister, standing only feet away from him. She wasn't a child any more but an adult. She had dark black wavy hair, and his mother's beautiful eyes. They were a perfect hazel green, not like his discolored ones.

She was beautiful. But she looked sad, as if she was missing something. That's when he realized the harsh reality that this was only a illusion, a trick being play as a last attempt by himself to see his sister. Nina Makarov was still held by Shepherd's men. That was the reality.

He looked to see the figure of his sister disappear into the wind, and vanish. The figure of Henri Sedusky replaced it, his gun carefully trained on him, slowly walking towards him.

Makarov finally gave up and shut his eyes, thinking only about his sister. _"Nina, I'm sorry..."

* * *

_

It seemed like only a second later when Makarov finally opened his eyes again. He could hear the small blip of a heart monitor close by. He tried to move, but he felt his ankles and wrists bound by handcuffs, making it impossible to move even an inch. The entire room was dark and was only illuminated by the light coming from the LCD screen of the monitor. He didn't have a clue were he was, or how long he had been in this place. His entire body was numb, he could do or feel a thing. All he could remember was the sound of gunshots.

"Perfect timing Vladimir." A voice said. "Just the man I wanted to speak too."

Makarov turned his head towards the voice and narrowed his eyes in anger at the person standing beside his bedside.

"Carpathia..." Makarov said, looking up at the man in silent anger.

Carpathia politely nodded. "I was told you were looking for me..."

"When I get out of here..." Makarov started.

"...And I was also told you were searching for someone else as well. A certain special someone I recall?"

Makarov shook in anger. "Where the hell is she!"

Carpathia just calmly shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever Shepherd did with her, so who knows what."

"Shepherd is dead."

"And so were you." Carpathia replied, narrowing his eyes at him. "Until a familiar friend decided that you had a much better use."

Makarov looked to see a slender figure wearing a gray suit walk into the dark room. Makarov again couldn't believe that he was standing only feet away from him. These two men, the ones he had been trying to eliminate for years, were only an arm length away, standing calmly over his bedside. It was President Boris Vorshevsky.

"Its been a long time." Vorshevsky said, looking down at Makarov. "And now it seems like this will be the final time we meet."

Makarov looked at him carefully. "What do you mean..." He asked slowly.

"Do you want to know why your not dead right now?" Vorshevsky asked.

Makarov had forgotten that he had been shot numerous times, enough to be fatal. If he hadn't been taken in for immediate medical treatment, it wouldn't have taken him long for him to bleed out and die.

But he didn't die. Instead he was lying in a hospital bed, under the enemy's watch and all. He hadn't even realized why he was still alive, and why they had saved him. Why didn't they just let him die? What could they possibly gain from keeping him alive?

"Even though we have you, there's still a numerous amount of your 'loyalist' friends still running around." Vorshevsky replied, answering Makarov's question's in his head. "And with this war with the United States, we don't have the time to hunt every single one of them down.

"So instead of searching for them, they'll come to us." Vorshevsky continued. "And you'll be the bait."

"How the hell you expect this to work?" Makarov asked.

"Technology has come a long way Vladimir." Vorshevsky said, walking towards a small medical tray. "And with today's medical technology, anything is possible."

Vorshevsky turned back to Makarov, a small syringe in his hand, filled with a clear red substance.

"From this day on, the person known as Vladimir Makarov is dead. You'll no longer be a threat to anyone. But you will live on as someone else instead."

Vorshevsky walked up to Makarov and held the sharp needle only inches above his skin.

"Welcome to Russia." Vorshevsky said. "Yuri Vasily."

His stabbed the syringe into Makarov's arm and everything went blank. Every memory that he had ever had was erased. Zakhaev, Shepherd, the airport attack, Anatoly and Victor, and his sister. All erased in an instant.

Vladimir Makarov looked up at Vorshevsky and Carpathia for the last time before closing his eyes, finally giving in.

Yuri Vasily was soon sound asleep.

* * *

Darkness. There was only darkness and silence before he heard the sounds of individuals talking around him, all close by.

"Did it work?"

"Only time will tell..."

"Hey, are you there?"

"Anatoly, shut up."

"What if it didn't work?"

"It had to have worked. It just had too..."

He could only hear their voices. He recognized their voices instantly. He heard them all clearly. He could recognize Anatoly and Victor. He heard even Elena and Anya. He knew them well. He could never forget them, not after what he had been through.

He had promised her he would save. He had promised himself. He was going to save her.

Light filled Vladimir Makarov's eyes as he finally awoke from his slumber.

* * *

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	9. Old Friends, New Enemies

Vladimir Makarov looked around for the first time, looking around at his surroundings. He found himself staring up at a blinding white light, which caused him to squint from how bright it was. He moved his arm in an attempt to try and shield himself, but he found it immovable. He looked over to see it handcuffed to a pole. He tried to move his other limbs, but they were all to the same result. The last thing he remembered was being chained to a bed, and now he had woken up to find himself in the same situation.

But not all was the same. Instead of seeing the faces of Carpathia and Vorshevsky, he was greeted by old friends, ones he recognized instantly.

Anatoly Butkovsky, with his optimistic character and worrisome attitude. Victor Rostov, and his quiet demeanor. Anya Kosov, with her easily recognizable burnt scarlet hair and burgundy eyes, and finally the final person, a young girl with gray hair and eyes, with a somewhat calm and boring expression, Elena Zakhaev.

It was all the same people he had last seen before he had disappeared, save the one detective. He didn't know what had happened or where he was, but these familiar faces in front of him had to have all the answers, at least the ones he needed.

"Anatoly?..." Makarov said, focusing his eyes. "Victor?..."

Anatoly face lit up with a grin. "It worked!"

Victor just rolled his eyes and sighed. "Told you..."

"I can't believe it!" Anatoly exclaimed, getting out of his chair. "They told me you were dead, but I didn't believe them, no sir, I-

"Anatoly!" Makarov shouted. "Get me the hell out of here!"

Makarov shook his arm, showing that he was still handcuffed to the metal bed post.

"I don't think those will be necessary anymore..." Elena said quietly.

"Oh, sorry." Anatoly said, rubbing his head. "I got it, don't worry."

Anatoly quickly produced a small key and quickly unlocked the handcuffs from Makarov's wrists and ankle. Makarov slowly brought himself to a sitting position on the bed, rubbing his arms and wrists. He felt sore all over, like he had just woken up after a long nap, his joints stiff. But he didn't feel one bit tired, he felt fine. He knew he had of been shot countless times, but yet it felt like to him like he hadn't even gone though it. There would be scars, but there seemed to be no permanent damage from the gunshots.

He knew what had happened to him. Now he just had to figure out what happened afterward.

"Where am I?" Makarov asked, rubbing his forehead. "What happened?"

He looked around to everyone, trying to see if they had an answer. Anatoly was the first one to speak.

"You have been missing for nearly a year..." Anatoly said quietly.

"A year?"

Anatoly nodded. "We didn't know what happened...We thought you were dead..."

Makarov sighed. _"Over a year then..."_

He mind suddenly flashed to Shepherd and his sister. _"Where is she! What happened to her!"_

"Calm down." Elena said, causing Makarov to look up in surprise. "You might want to take it slow."

Makarov straightened himself. "Calm down! How can I calm down when-

He stopped himself, realizing that Anatoly and Victor were still in the room. He hadn't told them about his sister, or what had happened to her. He would have no choice, they would want an explanation, and he would have to give one. There was no point in denying it any longer.

"I already told them." Elena said, answering Makarov's exact thoughts. "They know all about your sister."

Makarov looked up in surprise. He hadn't realized that they already knew. He didn't know what to say. Would they be willing to continue working with them if he was going to save his sister? He hadn't planned for this, but then again, he didn't plan on getting shot either.

"Listen Makarov..." Anatoly started. "You should have told us..."

"It would have help." Victor added quietly.

"I didn't know what you would do." Makarov explained quietly. "I was myself, and I was afraid. Afraid what would happen to her, and what would happen if I told you..."

"We're on your side, no matter what." Anatoly said, giving Makarov a small smile.

"It doesn't matter what your reasons are, were here to help." Victor added. "Just know that."

Makarov sighed, shaking his head. "But it doesn't matter now anyway..."

"What do you mean?" Anatoly asked.

"Nina is long gone..." Makarov said quietly. "Along with Shepherd's men..."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that..." Elana said, a small smile on her face.

Makarov looked over at her, a suspicious look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"Shepherd's men, Shadow Company, took your sister..."

"Yes..." Makarov said, still trying to figure out where she was going,

"Do you ever wonder what happened to them? Or who is leading them now?" Elena asked.

Makarov took a moment to think. He didn't know what happened to Shadow Company. Shepherd had told them they had fled, taking his sister along with them. After that, he didn't know what happened to them. He would have assumed they would have disbanded or regrouped with other units. But this was Shepherd's personal unit, one that wasn't even supposed to even exist.

Makarov leaned in close, listening carefully. "Elena, where are you going with this? What happened to Shadow Company, and who is their leader?"

* * *

Sedusky cleared his throat and stood before the many people present at his presentation of the day's recent attack. He wasn't one for giving presentations, but he felt it was best if he was the one who did, seeing as he was of the few actually present at the scene. He pressed another button on the small remote, revealing the first slide in his presentation to the members of the Investigation Bureau and the Moscow Police Force.

"At approximately 11:27 AM, four gunmen entered and the GUM supermarket complex." Sedusky said. "They were seen carrying what has been identified as some sort of gas canister, the weapon used in the recent attack."

He pressed the button on the remote again, revealing another slide. "The gunmen have been linked to an American radical group called the United Sovereign States of America, or the USSA for short. A terrorist group currently operating in Moscow." Sedusky continued. "So far, the gunmen are still at large, and an investigation into their whereabouts is currently underway."

An officer sitting in the front watching the presentation raised his hand. "What is the current number of members of this group?" He asked.

"As of this time, we cannot give an accurate number, but based on the level of planning and coordination, reasonable estimates would be close to nearly a thousand members." Sedusky replied.

He turned back to the projector screen and continued on his presentation. "The USSA is led by a single unknown individual, known only as the Patriot..."

* * *

"His age is unknown..." Clay continued to list off.

"Birthplace unknown..." Webb said. "But most likely American..."

"Of course." Clay replied in a sarcastic tone.

"He's calm, organized, and above all, determined." Webb finished, continuing to add more things to his list of traits of the Patriot, beginning to build somewhat of a rough profile.

Clay leaned back on his back and sighed, looking back up at the clouds. "Right, so whats first?"

* * *

"Four names were picked up on the security feeds during the attack." Sedusky said, continuing his presentation. "Miller, Beckett, Webb and Williams. If these names are indeed the real names of the attackers, then it only confirms that this was most likely an attack from the USSA."

Sedusky clicked to a shot from the camera of the four gunmen carrying the gas canister during the attack. It showed two of then carrying the canister, and the other two out in front.

"We can see two shooters out front, while two are carrying the cylinder." Sedusky explained. "Based on the orders given after reviewing the tapes, it would seem that its Miller and Beckett leading the way, while Webb and Williams are carrying the canister."

"Also, it is safe to assume that the leader of the group is Miller." Sedusky added, zooming in on the individual giving orders. "This man may be are only link to the Patriot..."

* * *

"Nathaniel Miller..." Clay said to himself, looking up at the clouds.

"What about him?" Webb asked, pouring over his notes he and Clay had taken.

"You think he might know anything? Clay asked.

"Oh, I'm sure he does Clay. In fact, why don't you go and ask him." Webb said, putting as much sarcasm as he could into each word. "I'm sure he would be happy to tell you everything you want to know."

"Who said we should ask him?" Clay asked, a small smirk on his face.

Webb narrowed his eyes. "Your not thinking what I hope your not thinking..."

"We got to get somewhere." Clay said, standing up. "And old Nate seems like our best ticket to getting started."

Webb quickly got up, putting his hand on Clay's shoulder and stopping him his tracks.

"Let's just think about this from a rational standpoint." Webb started, raising his finger.

A small smirk appeared across Clay's face as he crossed his arms, waiting to listen.

"Okay..." Clay said, still smiling to himself.

"Nathaniel Miller is a cold blooded killer." Webb said. "And not only that, he is really suspicious. Of everyone."

"Okay..." Clay repeated, still not showing any real signs of taking Webb's words seriously.

"Of everyone..." Webb repeated, this time much slower.

Clay just shrugged. "Nothing I haven't heard before."

Webb sighed. "Everyone would include us Clay..."

"So what, you afraid of Miller?" Clay asked.

"I'm more afraid of what will happen if he catches us." Webb replied. "You do realize what would happen if he caught us snooping around in his office?"

"Again, 'if' he catches us." Clay pointed out.

"This is already getting way too dangerous..." Webb said, crossing his arms.. "I'm not doing it..."

"Matt, your the only one out the four of us that knows how to pick a lock."

Webb shook his head. "Then I guess your gonna have to find someone else."

"Come on." Clay pleaded. "Don't you want to find the Patriot?"

Webb closed his eyes and wasn't so much him finding the Patriot, rather, trying to talk Clay out of it. He couldn't see how much danger they would be getting into if they were going to be serious about this. He didn't realize how expendable they really were in the Patriot's eyes. If they were caught, then there would be no point in keeping them alive. They would just be disposed of, and that would be the end of that.

But he already knew Clay's 'if we get caught' reply, so there was no point in trying to argue and talk him out of it. But he couldn't let him just search on his own. He wanted to figure out who the Patriot was too, but unlike Clay, there was a limit to what he was willing to risk.

But he also wanted to know more about Nathaniel Miller. Webb was always watching his back when his was around him, always treading lightly when he was close by. Miller was someone that could easy deceive anyone, and stab them in the back when they weren't looking.

It was because of his distrust to the man was what motivated him to find out more, even if it meant breaking into his office and potentially risking life and limb. He didn't trust the man entirely, and he wanted to figure out more about him. More then what Miller was telling him.

"Well?" Clay asked, waiting anxiously for Webb's answer.

Webb sighed. "Fine." He reluctantly replied. "But only this once."

Clay grinned and celebrated to himself, causing Webb to shake his head and sigh.

_"I really hope I don't regret this..."

* * *

_

"...Our first priority is finding the Patriot." Sedusky said. "He is responsible for numerous kidnappings, killings, and murders. He is considered highly dangerous and cannot be ignored."

A female officer near the back raised her hand in the back.

"Yes?" Sedusky asked.

"How do you expect to find him? The female asked. "We haven't necessary been given very many leads."

"There are no real leads as of now, but new ones might present themselves in the coming days." Sedusky replied. "But for now, we can focus on investigating the four names, as well as how all the victims died during the attack."

Sedusky took a deep breath and sighed. "I know it looks hard, but eventually, the Patriot will eventually slip up. And when he does, we'll be there to arrest him."

* * *

"The Patriot..." Makarov said to himself.

"That's right." Elena replied.

"And the rest of Shadow Company?" Makarov asked.

"All under his command."

Makarov closed his eyes to think. _"If Shepherd is dead, who could it be? There was no one else, he acted alone. He didn't have an accomplice, did he...?"_

"So he's in Moscow..." Makarov said.

"Yes."

"And he has my sister..."

"Most likely." Elena replied. "If not, then he would definitely know where she is.

"So if I find the Patriot..." Makarov started.

"Then you'll probably find Nina." Elena finished. "At least that makes the most since."

Makarov closed his eyes and sighed. Even after all this time, nothing really had changed. He was still on the run, still fighting against Carpathia and Vorshevsky, and now, fighting against the Americans. And now with this USSA radical group and their leader, the Patriot, it felt like he would be fighting Shepherd all over again, looking for his sister.

"So it seems like we start over." Makarov said, looking up at Elena and the others.

Elena nodded silently. "So it would seem..."

He wouldn't let anyone stop him. Not Vorshevsky. Not Carpathia. Not this Patriot. No one. He had a plan. He knew what he had to do.

Vladimir Makarov narrowed his eyes and tightly clenched his fists. _"If I want to find Nina once and for all, I have to find 'him'..."

* * *

_Henri Sedusky took a deep breath and sighed. _"If I want to stop this and save people's lives, I have to find 'him'..."

* * *

_

Matthew Webb sat down and closed his eyes. _"If I want to truly be safe and secure, I have to find 'him'..."

* * *

_

_"I will find the Patriot." _Makarov, Sedusky, and Webb promised to themselves together.


	10. Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity

The rain continued to beat down on the glass as Agent Stephan Obreiski of the FBI continued to stare out of the windshield of his car, looking down the dark Moscow street. After enduring what seem to him like the longest plane ride in his life, he was immediately greeted with work, not even giving him a chance to get over his jet lag, or get his bearings in a foreign country, one that they were currently at war with.

He couldn't believe that the assignment had been actually issued. It was one thing for the FBI to be operating out of the United States, let alone openly in a hostile country. With the current war, he was amazed that he was standing in Moscow. Here he was, in a country that probably wanted him dead, and he was supposed to do his job, with all the hostility circling around him.

He shouldn't have been surprised when his superiors selected him for the assignment. Even though he had been born in the United States, he had close roots within eastern Europe, particularity, between Poland and Ukraine. His grandfather was a young peasant farmer living in Ukraine, living under the shadow of the Soviet Union. When the communist government started to abduct farmers and enslave them in gulags in harsh Siberian region, he fled to Poland, trying to get across the iron curtain and into the Allied held Western Germany. He stayed in Poland, buying his time to make it across. It was during this time he met his grandmother, a young bar girl in Warsaw. They soon fell in love and eventually fled across the iron curtain into Allied territory. A year later, they were in America, starting up a small pub in Boston. His family had remained their since.

It was a town he had hailed from for all his life, until he had been selected into the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a criminal profiler. From there, he moved to D.C, working in an office right in the heart of the nation's capital, beginning his training as an agent. After passing countless physical and mental tests, he finally was selected. He could begin to work under others, gaining experience and furthering his career.

But it was all different now. This was the first assignment were he was on his own, no more partners or mentors to help and guide him. And not only that, but he couldn't think of a more better 'baptism of fire' then this. Even though he was just as fluent in Russian as he was English, he still felt like a fish out of water. Just standing in this country made him feel awkward.

He knew better then to know what was happening. The U.S and the Russian Federation had been at war for nearly a year, and relations weren't getting anytime better with the current events that he had heard happening out of Moscow.

A radical leader, known only as the Patriot, was leading a group of revenge hungry Americans in a 'patriotic' war for redemption against Russia. Only three days before, they attacked the GUM supermarket complex, right in the heart of Moscow. In a terrorist style attack, they released a chemical agent, killing innocent Russian civilians.

It was a cowardly tactic, but in the eyes of the Russian President, it was just another direct attack from the United States. They had already been blamed in an airport attack, now they were being accused of funding and supporting a terrorist organization known as the USSA, or the United Sovereign States of America. Each time the USSA killed or attacked, it would just add more fuel to an already growing fire that was the relations between them and Russia.

They had denied it of course, because they had truly nothing to do with those radicals. But their word had long lost its integrity, and it would never satisfied President Vorshevsky. If the United States wanted to prove their innocence and their word that they didn't wanted to see the innocent being killed, whether it be Russian or American, they would have to give more then just a defense statement.

That was were he came in. He was the United States offering to the Russian Federation: A single criminal profiler to help in the investigation in finding the Patriot. It was to be that if the United States didn't truly support the USSA, then they would have no problem in helping stop them.

He didn't know if a single agent from the FBI, let alone a young one that had little experience on his own would appease the Russian President. He felt like his superiors back in Washington had served him to the wolves, as if to keep them calm until they became hungry once again. It was definitely not a good feeling he had had when he was flying over.

Regardless of how people treated him or what they thought of him, he still had a job to do. He would help catch the Patriot, not only for the United States sake, but for everyone's sake. As far as he was concerned, he was here assisting in the investigation. Peoples personal opinions towards him wouldn't stop him from doing his job.

He pulled the keys from the ignition and reluctantly opened the car door, stepping out onto the rainy Moscow street. He pulled his dark coat over his suit, trying to keep himself dry and warm as much as possible.

Obreiski sighed. _"What's with all this rain?... It seems as soon as I show up, it begins to pour...Just my luck...I can already tell I'm going to enjoy being here..."_

He tried to ignore the cold drops continuing to beat down on his head as he proceeded across the street towards a nearby alley. He was in the pour district of the city, and the surroundings definitely showed. Graffiti along the wall and pieces of trash littering the sidewalk were all evidence that this was one of Moscow's poorer regions. It seemed fitting for what had just happened.

Obreiski continued across the street towards the flashing blue and red lights of numerous squad cars set up along the street in front of the alley. He could already see numerous police outside and the yellow tape already set up. It seemed that he was rightfully informed, the Patriot had struck again. But instead of public attack, it was murder. He hadn't figured the Patriot for a serial killer, but he hadn't really begun to investigate anything so he shouldn't be surprised. Hopefully some of his questions could be answered in the coming days.

He was tired, but there was no rest for the weary. He had received direct orders as soon as he landed from the Moscow Investigation Bureau. They hadn't given him much time, only that he was given an address and orders to met a Lieutenant Cecile Kowalski. He hadn't even had time to get settled in, and he was already running around the city.

As he approached the yellow police tape, he was stopped by a police officer standing guard by it.

"This area is currently off limits to civilians." The officer said, raising his hand. "I'm going to have to ask you to step back sir."

"I'm Agent Stephan Obreiski from the FBI." Obreiski explained. "I was told I would be expected."

The officer raised a eyebrow and studied him carefully. "You have some proof of this, 'Agent' Obreiski?"

Obreiski reached into his pocket and flashed his blue and white FBI id card for the officer.

The officer looked at it carefully before nodding. "Alright, your clear."

Obreiski nodded and stuffed the id back into his coat pocket. He ducked under the yellow tape and on to the crime scene at the entrance of the alley.

"I was told I could find a Lieutenant Kowalski." Obreiski said, remembering his order. "Is she around?"

"I believe I saw her arrive." The officer replied. "She should be down in the alley somewhere."

Obreiski nodded and gave the officer a polite smile. "Thank you officer."

He began to walk down the alley and towards the crime scene. As he walked he glanced around to see some of the police giving him quiet looks as he past by them, glancing briefly towards him as he walked past.

Obreiski ignored them and continued to walk down the narrow alley. _"Looks like everyone was well informed of my arrival...Glad to see I'm getting such a warm welcome..."_

He continued to walk down the alley until it finally opened up into a large concrete clearing. There were at least a dozen police officers in the back alley, carefully looking around for any signs that the killer left. His eyes panned the area until they caught sight of a small white tent, small spotlights set up and directly lit on the tent. It was no doubt the source of all this activity. It was where the victim's body lay.

He started over to the small tent, continuing to shield himself from the rain. He was already soaking wet, even only after being out for minutes. He didn't want to catch a cold or come down with something when he hadn't even begun to work. He would just hope his immune system was stronger then his tolerance to the cold.

He finally reached a young petite female with dark hair wearing a large rain poncho over her coat, one that he wished he was wearing. She was shielding a small notebook from the rain, carefully looking over the pages. As Obreiski reached her, she noticed him and looked up to meet him.

"Yes?" The female asked, looking up from the notebook.

"Lieutenant Kowalski?" Obreiski asked.

The women nodded. "Yes, that's me." She replied.

"I'm Agent Stephan Obreiski from the FBI." Obreiski introduced. "I was told by your office that you would be down here."

Kowalski paused, thinking to herself before remembering. "Oh yes, the American. I remember now."

She presented her hand. "I'm Lieutenant Cecile Kowalski, Moscow Investigation Bureau."

Obreiski shook her hand, surprised by her friendliness towards him, He had been expecting a more different reception, one where he was simply tolerated and ignored rather then greeted. But he was presently surprised by her out non hostile attitude towards him, even though he was an American. At least some things weren't as bad as expected.

"Well Stephan, if you wanted a little rain, you definitely found it." She said. "You definitely look like your enjoying the weather."

He looked down at his hands and realize he was shivering uncontrollably from the cold. He was definitely wishing for a rain poncho. His coat was absorbing the rain like a sponge.

"I thought it was summer here..." Obreiski replied, rubbing his arms for warmth.

"So did I." Kowalski said, smiling. "But it seems like weather always has its ways with surprising everyone."

Kowalski put her notebook back in her pocket and looked off across the alley.

"Lets get somewhat out of this rain and get something warm to drink." She said. "Even I'm getting a little sick of this weather."

Obreiski happily agreed and followed her across the alley. As they walked, he remembered his job, and the many questions he had.

"So.." Obreiski started, walking next to her. "What happened?"

"A couple of garbage men were doing their rounds when they found a body early this morning." Kowalski replied. "Based on what we've seen so far, it looks like the work of the USSA's leader, the Patriot."

"Have you identified the body?" Obreiski asked.

"Not yet, but we should know more by the end of the day." She replied.

"Any leads or witnesses?"

"The killer didn't leave too much, and I really doubt anyone saw anything." Kowalski replied. "Given the neighborhood and the time, I'd be surprised if there were any witnesses."

The two stopped under a small awning, that provided protection from the rain and cold, much to Obreiski's relief. A small table was set up, with a thermos of coffee and styrofoam cups next to it.

"Help yourself." Kowalski said, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Gladly." Obreiski replied, taking a cup and letting Kowalski pour himself a cup. He brought the cup to his lips and drank the hot liquid. As soon as the coffee went down his throat, his entire body instantly warmed and he felt energized.

"Wow." Obreiski said. "This stuff is good. And strong."

It's called Yuran's blend." She said. "It's a homemade blend."

"Well, he definitely has strong tastes." Obreiski said, downing the final gulp of coffee.

With a somewhat feeling of warmth and energy back into his body, he could finally focus on more important things then dealing with the rain.

"Has the body been identified?" Obreiski asked, looking towards the small white tent.

"No, but we should know more fairly soon." Kowalski replied. "However, we have reason to believe it was a young girl that disappeared about a week ago. Once the family confirms this, then will know for sure."

"Can I have a look?" Obreiski asked.

"Sure, go right ahead." Kowalski replied, pulling out her notebook. "I'll just stay here where its warm." She added with a slight smile.

Obreiski sighed and reluctantly forced himself out from underneath the dry awning and back out into the rain. It was bad enough it was so early in the morning, let alone raining. But he promised himself he would do he job. And if he had to deal with working along side angry Russians, then he could deal with a little rain.

He finally approached the small tent that held the body. He took a small black recorder from his pocket, brought it to his face and pressed the record button.

"Audio memo recording number one, Agent Stephan Obreiski. Investigating Patriot killing. Time is..."

He glanced down at his watch. "6:25 in the morning."

He pulled the small tent flap aside to reveal the body. In it, was the body of a young girl, no less then twenty years of age, lying on her back. Her face was pale and her eyes closed shut.

"Audio memo one, the victim is a young girl." Obreiski said to himself, continuing to speak into the recorder. "Based on what she is wearing, it would seem that she lives inside Moscow's poverty district."

He scanned the body until he found something interesting sitting beside her. An American flag was folded neatly next to her head. As he leaned in closer, he noticed that the flag was soaked in blood.

"Audio memo one, an American flag is folded next to the victim's head, in a military fashion." Obreiski said. "It's soaked in blood, possibly the victim's."

His eyes traveled from the young girl's head down to her wrists. He found two gashes across both of them, dried blood around them.

"Audio memo one, the victims wrist's were slit." Obreiski said, looking at the wounds. He leaned in closer to get a better look, and realized that they we're surprising not the cause of death.

"Audio memo one, the wounds on the victim's wrist were caused postmortem, which means the victim died of some other means..." Obreiski said.

_"Theres no other signs of violence on the body...Its possible the victim was drowned or poisoned, but it can't be said for sure..."_

He noticed the victim holding something in her hands, causing Obreiski to lean in closer. He carefully pried her hand open to see what she was holding. A small sliver figurine was in her hand. It was in the shape of a revolutionary war minute man. And engraved underneath the small soldier, were the words Patriot.

Obreiski narrowed his eyes at the figurine. _"This is just his 'calling card', so everyone would know that it was him who personally killed her..."_

He closed her hand and closed the flap on the tent. He had seen enough, and he wasn't going to learn anything more then what he and the police already knew. Even so, he was taken back on the level of difficulty the case would be for everyone.

_"Very impressive..." _Obreiski thought to himself, thinking about the murder. _"Seems the Patriot left only the clues he wanted us to find, knew exactly what he was doing..."_

Obreiski sighed. He wanted to think more about this, but out of the rain. Beside, he still had people he had to meet, and he didn't want to already get off on the wrong foot, even if he already was in their eyes.

As he was starting back to his car, he noticed Lieutenant Kowalski, walking up to him from behind.

"I'm about done here." She said. "You?"

Obreiski nodded. "Ya, I've seen enough. I'm leaving too. I need to meet an Alexsandr Lukin down at Special Intelligence."

"You mind giving me a ride?" She asked. "I car pooled here. My office is on the way anyway."

Obreiski nodded in comply. "Happy to." He replied, gladly to show his kindness to anyone that would ask for it. He wasn't about to give the United States a bad name, at least not in terms of chivalry towards a lady...

The two walked down the alley and toward his car, himself already happy to be getting out of the rain.

* * *

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	11. American Relations

Stephan Obreiski sat inside the offices of the Russian Special Intelligence agency, trying to pass the time as he waited for his appointment with Alexsandr Lukin, the Director in charge. He wasn't surprised in being in their offices. An American FBI agent was certainly someone would want to keep a close and constant eye on. If he needed to be babysat by these people, then so be it. He just wanted to get the paperwork and formalities out of the way so he could finally begun to work.

It was bad enough that he was still wet and cold from the rain, and now he would have to work in the shadow of these people. He would have preferred working out of the Investigation Bureau offices where Kowalski was, rather then here. It made more since if he was to be working on the Patriot case, with more helpful people and resources there then where he was. Plus, Lieutenant Kowalski was a person he could get along with, and he would probably find friendliness like her's quite rare.

He leaned back in his chair and sighed, continuing to listen to the constant ringing of phones.

_"I'm bored as hell.."_ Obreiski thought. _"I wish I had something to do..."_

Obreiski glanced over at the receptionist, who was continuously typing on her computer.

"You think its going to be a while Grace?" Obreiski asked, looking over at her.

She politely smiled and shook her head. "No, I think he should be finished shortly."

Obreiski nodded and returned to his relaxed position. _"All this stuff is just politics... The sooner I can get this meeting over with, the better..."_

He glanced down the office and caught the glace of a slender brunette woman glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He met her glance briefly before she quickly turned away and returned to her computer. Obreiski just sighed and closed his eyes, continuing to wait for Director Lukin.

* * *

Irene Sedusky continued to take passing glances at the young man in the gray suit, sitting outside Lukin's office. She had heard rumors from Grace and other coworkers, but she never thought they were true. But the more she studied him, the more she began to realize that this guy was the one they were talking about.

The United States had sent an FBI agent to Moscow to help in the investigation involving the Patriot. It was America's offer to help them and clear any suspicions of them being involved with the USSA. Their so called peace offering.

Irene wasn't buying it. The United States was way to mistrust worthy. For all she knew, the FBI in her eyes was a misleading organization that crafted false stories and testimonies. She didn't like or trust them one bit, and it included him.

She didn't know why he was even here in the first place. She looked over and studied him more closely.

Light brown hair and pale blue eyes, with a gray suit that had been soaked in rainwater. He had to be no older then she was, maybe slightly younger then the looks of him. She couldn't tell how experienced he really was, but she could only assume that it was little.

Irene just couldn't believe it. Here she was, sitting at her desk, and a American was sitting in a chair yards away from her to meet with her boss. Didn't anyone realize that they were at war with the United States? How could anyone trust this Agent? She could hardly stand being in the same room with an American, let alone work by one. She didn't like him or the FBI at all.

It didn't matter what her thought's were, what was done was done. If everyone trusted this FBI guy, fine. But she wasn't about to let her guard down around him, especially an American.

For all she was concerned, he was no better then the Americans in the USSA.

* * *

Stephan Obreiski heard the door open behind him and looked up to finally see Alexsandr Lukin appear from his office. He brought himself out of his chair and turned to met the Director.

"Tell the people from the security department to fax the file to my office Grace." Lukin said to his receptionist as he walked out.

"Yes sir." Grace replied. "Oh, and Agent Stephan Obreiski from the FBI is here to see you Director." She added, pointing over to Obreiski.

Obreiski watched as Lukin turned to greet him. "Stephan...Yes, of course, we been expecting you to arrive." He said, offering his hand.

"Glad to be here sir." Obreiski replied, shaking the director's hand.

"Listen, I have a meeting to attend right now, but our business won't take long." Lukin said. "We can talk as we walk."

"Oh, of course." Obreiski replied, quickly following in line behind the Director.

Lukin walked down until he came to the desk of the brunette woman he had briefly exchanged glances with while waiting.

"Irene, I need your help with something, do you mind tagging along?"

"Sure Director..." Irene replied slowly, studying Obreiski carefully as she got out of her chair. She soon fell behind Obreiski and Lukin, keeping pace with him.

"The situation is Moscow has been rapidly deteriorating Agent Obreiski." Lukin said as the continued to walk past countless people's desks. "First this war, now this goddamn American radical group is causing a lot of stress among people. It's not going to take long before the situation spirals out of control."

"If that's the case, then it's all the more reason why we need to catch this guy." Obreiski replied. "Like you said, its not going to take much to send people into a panic."

Lukin nodded. "Agreed. The police are swamped dealing with the increased level of crime. All the help we can get is gladly appreciated."

The three stopped at a copier and Lukin placed a piece of paper he was carrying into the tray. He set the cover down and pressed the print button, beginning to make copies of the documents.

"To be honest with you Stephan, I wish the FBI and Americans weren't getting involved, but the public is demanding results." Lukin said. "This Patriot or whatever he wants to call himself has taken us by surprise and its fast in becoming a national concern."

Lukin shook his head and sighed. "There are millions and millions of Americans, but this one is hell bent on revenge. He organizes killings and robberies, causing destruction and death, and leaving nothing for us to trace. Now politics are starting becoming involved.

Obreiski crossed his arms and leaned against the nearby wall. "I'm here to help find a serial killer and a radical terrorist group leader. With respect sir, the politics between my country and yours, should really be none of our concern."

Lukin gave a small polite smile. "Yes, yes of course..."

The printer beeped, finishing its job. Lukin reached down into the tray and pulled out the stack of copies. He stack and straightened them neatly before turning back to Irene.

"Have, everyone receive a copy of this, I'll go over it later." Lukin explained, handing Irene the stack of papers.

Irene took a final glance at Obreiski before taking the papers and returning down the hallway to her desk.

"In any case, I'll tell my superiors that you and I met." Lukin said. "You are free to get to work when your ready."

Lukin started down the hallway before turning back to Obreiski.

"Oh, go speak to Irene Sedusky." Lukin added, talking about the brunette. "She'll show you where you'll be working."

Obreiski nodded, remembering the quiet brunette that had briefly walked with them.

Lukin waved and gave a slight grin. "Welcome to Russia, Stephan!"

Obreiski gave a weird look. "Thank you, Director..." He replied slowly.

He hadn't expected Lukin to be so willing to meet with him, but the man reminded him a bit of his superior back in D.C. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all. He had received some weird looks, but the reception he had envisioned was much worse then the one he was experiencing. At least somethings were looking for the better.

Now that he had met with Lukin, he was eager to finally get to work. He started down the hallway, looking fro the brunette that Lukin had told him to speak to. He looked for her desk and found her sitting back at her chair, typing on her computer. He made his way past the desks before finally approaching her.

"Excuse me, are you Irene Sedusky?" Obreiski asked.

"Yes." She replied quietly, not looking up from her computer.

"Director Lukin said you could show me to my office..." Obreiski said, thinking to himself if she was actually going to help him.

Irene sighed and Obreiski watched as she reluctantly got out of her chair.

"Follow me." She said, beginning to walk away with out waiting for him.

Obreiski quickly caught up with her and matched her brisk pace. As they walked, he noticed her not making any eye contact with him, seemingly almost trying to ignore him.

_"Looks like someone isn't too pleased to see me..."_ Obreiski thought as he follow behind Irene. He sensed something about her, something that told him she wasn't going to be friendly to him anytime soon. He expected this, but she could be acting much worse towards him. Even so, it wouldn't stop him from trying to start up a conversation and be friendly towards her.

"Pretty lousy weather today, huh?" Obreiski said, trying to start a conversation. Irene didn't reply and continued to walk, not even turning her head, as if she hadn't even heard him.

"Does it always rain like this every summer?" He asked, still not giving up.

"It can rain any day out of the summer." She replied, adding a touch of sarcasm to her voice. "What, doesn't it rain where 'you' come from?"

"Well...Ya." Obreiski replied, taken back by her somewhat blunt answer. "Yes, of course."

He follow Irene until the two finally stopped at a door. Irene opened it and Obreiski looked inside to his office.

Office was an understatement. This was pretty much the floor's utility closet. No windows and just enough space for him and a was dusty and hadn't been used and what seemed ages. It was definitely not a place you wanted to work if you were catastrophic.

"This is..." Obreiski started, still staring at the small space. "This is were my-

Obreiski turned, but Irene was already on her way back to her desk. Obreiski closed his eyes and sighed in defeat.

_"Thanks for the help..."_ He thought as he watched Irene walk away. _"Well, I wanted a place to work...Looks like I got it..."_

Obreiski closed the door and locked the door. He quickly forgot about Irene and put his mind on more important things.

_"Right, time to get to work..." _Obreiski thought to himself. _"Let's start finding this Patriot..."

* * *

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	12. An Unlikely Return

The entire basement was quiet as Matthew Webb looked around carefully, making sure the coast was clear. Miller had left nearly an hour ago with Chloe, and he didn't know when the two were going to be coming back. It was nearly three days ago he agreed to helping Clay, and now his nerves were starting to get the best of him.

He was always careful, always on the alert and looking out for any potential dangers. Some people accused him of being to jumpy and worried, but Webb knew that he was only being smart. You couldn't just do the things he did without realizing the consequences if you were caught. If he had to be extra careful, then so be it. The price if he ever slipped up was too great. And not only would it cost him, but Clay as well.

"Alright, stand by the door." Webb instructed to Clay. "If you see them, you tell me immediately."

"Don't worry, I got ya." Clay replied.

"I'm serious." Webb said, continuing to stress the importance of why they had to be careful.

"Don't worry Matt, just get it done."

Webb sighed and turned down the narrow hallway. He could trust Clay, but he couldn't help but think that this was all just a game to him, an exciting way to pass the time with cheap thrills. Unlike him, Webb actually saw this situation as it was: A potentially life threatening one. It would only take one slip up, and it would cost them greatly...

But he couldn't think about that if they wanted to succeed. Nathaniel Miller was a mysterious man, one that was dangerous if he felt threatened. He didn't know how powerful Miller was in the USSA, but he could bet he knew something. Something that could start their search and head them in the right direction towards their goal. Finding the Patriot. The only problem was, the information that they needed was in Miller's office. And Miller's door was locked.

It was only a small challenge for Webb as he could easily pick a lot, especially the ones in the safehouse. He reached into his pocket for his lockpicks and inserted them into the keyhole. He fiddled the small metal prongs before he heard a small click. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open gently.

He slowly inched inside the room, scanning it carefully for anything that would be of use in their search. Everything was neat and tidy, organized perfectly. Webb looked to see a small desk set up in the corner of the room, with papers stacked on top of it. He quickly walked over to it, already starting to become paranoid of just being in Miller's room.

He quickly scanned the desk, removing papers and opening filing cabinets in attempt to find anything of important value that Miller would want kept secret. He continued to scan through papers until he finally came across a file labeled supplier.

He pulled the file out. Taped to the side was a small note, a address and a name were scribbled on the side. Webb looked over it and memorized the address before putting the file back into the desk and shutting the cabinet. He made sure everything was just the way it was before he had entered, and carefully backed out of the room. He relocked the door before quietly shutting it. In just minutes, he had found exactly what they were looking for, and none of them had gotten caught. Just the way it was supposed to go.

He walked back to the living room where Clay was still looking out the small peephole keeping watch for Miller.

"You can relax now." Webb assured him. "We got it?"

"What did ya find?" Clay asked, turning over to greet him.

"An address." Webb replied. "Hopefully someone that can help us."

"An address to who?"

"That, I do not know." Webb replied. "But we'll soon find out."

* * *

Henri Sedusky looked over the countless papers and photos of the attack, still trying to make sense of it all. Why and how could a chemical agent kill only some people, and yet leave others unharmed. There was no way that it was pure coincidence exactly twenty people had survived while another twenty had been killed. No one should have survived.

And yet, they had, and no one had any explanation as to why. There was no way that the people where 'immune' to this kind of stuff. The only way they had survived was the fact that they were supposed to. This entire attack must have been a message to them. A message that this was the kind of weapon they had, and what it's potential was. Just a sick demonstration, toying and playing with people's lives.

They had nothing to go on, not on single thing. All they had were four names and a destroyed gas cylinder. They had gotten nothing from these two small pieces of information, noting that they could use.

Sedusky closed his eyes and rubbed his head in frustration. _"Nothing...Not a single lead..."_

His phone rang and he sighed as he answered it. "Investigation Bureau, Inspector Sedusky speaking."

"Inspector Sedusky, there's someone here to see you." The voice answered, who he recognized as the receptionist.

"Is it urgent?" He asked.

"Um, well..." The receptionist started. "He's kind of all ready on his way..."

Sedusky raised an eyebrow. "Kind of on his way?"

"Morning Henri!"

Sedusky jumped nearly feel out of his chair at the voice behind him, startled by the sudden volume and appearance. He recovered and turned around to see to his surprise a man he wasn't expecting to show up at his office. It was Potentate Nicolae Carpathia himself, standing casually behind him.

"Potentate?" Sedusky asked, now feeling like everyone in the office was looking at them. "What are you doing here?"

"Just visiting an old friend." Carpathia replied, giving Sedusky a cheesy grin. "Is it so wrong for me to do that?"

Sedusky sighed. "I just didn't figure you be the kind of person to show up unannounced..."

Carpathia smiled. "Well, I like to surprise. And I can tell you were surprised, am I right?"

Sedusky dusted himself off and stood up. "I'm guessing your here for more then just to say hello though, am I right?"

Carpathia nodded. "Straight to the point, just like I remember. Yes, you see, I wanted to talk to you about this Patriot case your working on."

_"I've should have known..." _Sedusky thought to himself. _"Guess even he's running out of patience..."_

"Out of curiousness, what do you know so far about our American friend, this Patriot?_" _Carpathia asked.

"Unfortunately, not a whole lot I'm afraid." Sedusky replied, already fearing Carpathia's hidden hatred. "But let me tell you what we know so far..."

* * *

"The Patriot is White, American, age and gender unknown." Obreiski said, giving his presentation to Director Lukin and Irene Sedusky in a small room within the Office's of the Special Intelligence building. "He is in Moscow, but his current whereabouts or unknown."

"He's calm, determined, and above all, smart." Obreiski continued. "He knows exactly how to carry out attacks, and how to cover up everything to the smallest detail. Combined with his style of planning and orders, the Patriot is skilled in making decisions, whether it be important ones or small ones."

He sat on the small desk and sighed. "Overall, The Patriot is very detailed in everything he does. He doesn't make any mistakes, and always leaves nothing for anyone to follow. A real tough nut to crack..."

It was a hard case for anyone to tackle, let alone himself. This was definitely what he wasn't expecting in terms of sheer difficulty. The Patriot was a blank slate. It was nearly impossible to narrow down anything that would provide any help in finding him. Just like he said, a real tough nut. But eventually, every nut has to crack, and the Patriot could only do the things he did for so long before he would eventually make a mistake. A mistake he would catch and use to catch him once and for all.

"Very interesting." Irene said. "And just how does all that help us?" She asked with the slightest hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"It gives us a rough image of the Patriot which we can use to narrow down any potential suspects." Obreiski replied calmly, ignoring her sarcasm. "You know, something that can help in eventually arresting the Patriot."

Irene just shook her head, causing Lukin to sigh.

"Please, continue Stephan." Lukin said.

"After analyzing the Patriot's profile, I built up a list of areas where the Patriot might be." Obreiski continued. "After looking at where the Patriot's attacks have taken place, as well as where the murder was, I've narrowed the list of places the Patriot could be and into zones he would most likely be living."

"And just how much has it been narrowed down too?" Irene asked.

"As of right now, about a dozen eight square mile zones across the city." Obreiski answered.

Irene closed her eyes and sighed. "Great. That narrows it down to about what, two thirds of the city?"

Obreiski narrowed his eyes at Irene, beginning to get irritated by her attitude towards him. _"What's with her?..."_

"It may not be a lot of help right now, but at least its something to go on!" Obreiski answered, his anger rising. "Irene, if you have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them! Come on, don't be shy!"

Irene glared at him and got out of her chair. "What, you think you could do a better job then me because you think your more clever?" She asked, her voice beginning to raise. "Just because some guy in a suit from the FBI tells you something doesn't mean its right!"

Obreiski finally had enough. "Irene, I've just had it up to here with your crap! You've been looking for this guy for what, about a year now? What do you have to show for it? Anything? Anything at all?"

"Your one to talk, considering you just started actually working on the damn case only today!" Irene replied angrily. "Don't even begin to talk to me like you've been trying to figure this out before us!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I guess the whole invasion thing kinda got in the way!" Obreiski yelled with as much sarcasm as he could. "Sorry if I couldn't help you, but I was kind of busy digging people out of a destroyed building where I lived! You should just be glad we actually are trying to help you!"

"Just shut the hell up!"

"Why, cause I'm right?"

"Thats enough!" Lukin shouted, silencing Obreiski and Irene. They both glared at each other one last time before they sat back down and calmed themselves.

"Agent Obreiski, what are-

Suddenly, the T.V behind them turned on, causing them to look over at it. No one had pressed the remote, or even pushed the power button to turn it on, as if it had turned on by itself.

"Director, what is going on?" Irene asked, staring at the television in confusion.

Lukin studied it carefully. "I have no idea..."

* * *

Webb was deep in thought reading when he turned to see the T.V flash on. He stared in confusion, wondering who turned it on. He got up and looked around, trying to figure out if Clay had turned it on. But he hadn't. Clay was sound asleep in the recliner, and the remote was no where near him or Webb.

Suddenly, the T.V flashed from static to an image of a black symbol with a red background in the back. The symbol was of a soviet hammer and sickle, and a black star was behind the two.

Webb studied the image carefully. _"Where have I seen you before..."

* * *

_Sedusky had gotten out of his chair and was staring up at the television screen situated above the office. Everyone in the office, including Carpathia was staring up at the screen, looking and waiting in confusion, wondering why this was on instead of the news

They waited for something to happen, watching the T.V intently. After what seemed like ages, a voice finally answered. A voice that caused a shiver of fear and disbelief down his spine. He couldn't believe it. It was impossible from what he heard. There was no way it could be him, just no way...

"My name, is Vladimir Makarov..."


	13. Public Service Announcement

Everyone in the office was staring up at the T.V in shock, no believing their ears or their eyes. No one moved an inch as they looked up at the television, continuing to look in complete confusion and disbelief at what was before their eyes. Even Carpathia was in shock, something Sedusky had never seen him in before.

"What the hell?" Carpathia shouted, staring up at the t.v in shock.

Sedusky continued to stare up at the screen in shock as well, still stunned by the name he had just heard. It was impossible, there was no way it could be him, just no way.

_"How..." _Sedusky thought to himself._ "How is it even possible..."_

"I have returned." Makarov said over the T.V. "And this time, for good..."

Carpathia wheeled around to Sedusky in anger, hatred and desperation in his eyes.

"Get the T.V network on the phone and tell them to kill the damn video!" Carpathia yelled in anger.

Sedusky didn't know where to begin. He was still trying to figure out how Vladimir Makarov was speaking right now, let alone what Carpathia wanted. All he wanted to do was to listen, to figure out why and how this was happening. He still couldn't believe it, this couldn't be the same Vladimir Makarov, it just couldn't...

"W-what do you want me to do?" Sedusky asked, staring at Carpathia in confusion.

Carpathia shook his head. "Useless!" He shouted, pacing around the office in frustration. "Someone get me on the phone with the broadcast station!"

"Potentate sir, President Vorshevsky is on the phone for you." One of Carpathia's aides said, handing him a cell phone.

"Dammit..." Carpathia muttered, snatching the cell phone out of the aide's hand and placing it to his ear. "Yes, sir?"

Sedusky turned his attention back from Carpathia to the T.V continuing to listen to Makarov.

"What do you mean by that?" Carpathia yelled into the phone. "I assumed you kept your eyes on him at all times!"

Sedusky glanced out of the corner of his eye, watching Carpathia grip the phone in anger as he continued to speak to Vorshevsky.

"He's using the emergency broadcast channel, the one you designed!" Carpathia yelled. "You said every god damn t.v in Moscow!"

Carpathia looked up briefly at Sedusky. "Henri, what the hell are you still doing here! Get down there immediately and stop this!"

Sedusky quickly grabbed his car keys and coat and made a hasty retreat to the elevator, glad to be out of Carpathia's reach. He didn't want to be in the same building, let alone the same room with him in his current state. Besides, he was anxious to get down to the T.V station and find out what was happening first hand.

* * *

"I'm sure many of you are wondering why im choosing to speak to you, me out of all people." Makarov said, continuing his speech. "I can understand why you might be afraid or discouraged of us talking..."

_"What is going on..." _Obreiski thought to himself, continuing to listen to the televised speech. "_What is he trying to accomplish?..."_

"...You, the citizen's of Moscow, the very heart and soul of Russia, are the ones that drive this country forward. " Makarov continued. "It is you, not the politicians or the rich, but you, who are in control, not them..."

"I want every FSB officer at that T.V station in under five minutes." Lukin said, getting out of his chair. "Have them surround every street, every alley, every possible way of getting out of there."

Obreiski quickly got out and followed him, Irene closely behind. He was still trying to figure out what and why this situation was happening. Vladimir Makarov was known for his violent attacks, not giving public speeches. It didn't match him at all, it wasn't like him. What was he trying to do in all this? What was he trying to accomplish that a public attack couldn't?

"Stephan, I want you and Irene down there too." Lukin said, walking towards his office. "We can't give this man any chance of escape..."

"Director, I think it would be of more use if I stayed here." Irene started. "I think it would be more beneficial-

"No buts Irene, my decision is final." Lukin replied quickly. "Besides, its policy that we have a close eye on Agent Obreiski at all time.

Obreiski narrowed his eyes._ "A close eye at all times?..."_

"Please Director!" Irene pleaded with Lukin. "Can't you find someone else, someone better-

"Theres no time for this Irene." Lukin replied sharply. "Besides, I'm sure you and Stephan will get along just fine."

Obreiski and Irene glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes, glaring at one another.

_"Very unlikely..."_ Obreiski thought as he continued to stare at Irene.

* * *

Webb was staring at the television in silent horror. This wasn't supposed to be happening. This wasn't right at all. Vladimir Makarov was dead, he had been declared dead nearly a year ago. This was impossible for this to even be happening...

"...Have you ever wondered how honest your leaders are?" Makarov asked. "Have you ever wondered if you were being told the entire truth?"

"You where told by those same leaders that I was dead." Makarov continued. "That I had died and they had finally caught me..."

"Well, I think there's proof of their honesty towards you." He said. "One of the many lies they've told to keep you calm and quiet all this time..."

"What is going on?" Clay asked, staring at the t.v in confusion. "Isn't that-

"Vladimir Makarov..." Webb finished, glaring at the symbol on the television. "Leader of the Ultranationalists..."

"...Of course, I would be more then happy to tell you more of their lies, but I'm afraid our time to speak is short..." Makarov said. "For you see, those very leaders that I'm referring don't want us to speak..."

"I'm going for a walk." Webb said, starting towards the door. "I'll be back in a couple of hours..."

"...I'm sure there are orders are being shouted as I speak and men with weapons will soon be coming for me, but I know you probably understand this..." Makarov continued as Webb headed for the door.

He needed to think this through, to figure out what was going on. He needed to just clear his head, to try and figure this entire thing out. He didn't know what Vladimir Makarov was planning to do, or what he was doing, but whatever it was, it wasn't good for him, or the USSA.

He put his coat on and walked out the door, trying to clear his head.

* * *

"Were going to need a lot of personnel on site." Sedusky said to Cecile as they drove down the street through the rain, heading for the t.v station.

"You think its really him?" Cecile asked. "I mean, it could be a different person impersonating him."

"That's what I want to believe." Sedusky replied. "But something tells me that that's not true. I just feel it..."

It was a feeling that had been bothering him since he had first heard his voice. He was still thinking back to the last time he had seen the man. Coming from his angle, it was especially hard for him to believe that the man speaking on the T.V was the same Vladimir Makarov. He had shot the man nearly several times before he was captured. There was just no way that this man was the same Makarov.

But he still had a feeling that he was wrong. It was just in his voice. The way he talked, the hidden anger and menace within every word he said. It was just as he had remembered him speak. It sounded exactly like him. It just had to be him.

They finally pulled into the T.V station parking lot, news crews already set up. Sedusky got out and quickly walked passed them, heading for the t.v station entrance. There were dozens and dozens of FSB vans and police cars, all surrounding the building. It seemed like nearly every cop in the city was here, at least the most Sedusky had ever seen in one spot. All the people inside the building were being evacuated, and dozens of FSB were storming the building.

"He's barricaded inside." Sedusky said, walking towards the entrance. "Just sitting inside the building."

"I'm surprised there's only him here." Cecile said, walking next to him. "It seems like there should be a lot more difficult just to enter."

"Agreed, but even so, there's no way anyone could escape now." Sedusky said, looking around at the police. "Theres enough people here to rival a small army."

"Seems a little overkill, don't you think?"

Sedusky sighed. "I guess Carpathia isn't taking any chances. Even he seemed a little on edge."

Cecile smiled. "Then I guess it just shows how serious this situation really is."

He nodded. "I can't think of a more fitting example of how-

Sedusky stopped as he neared the entrance, staring ahead at two people standing by the double doors, standing by one another. One was a man, no older then him, wearing a black coat over a gray suit. The other, he recognized almost instantly, as it was a face he had known for years. It was his sister, Irene Sedusky, out of all places.

She was the first to notice him as he walked up to them. She had a look of annoyance across her face, as if she was putting up with something she just couldn't stand.

"Henri?" She asked, noticing him. "What are you doing here?"

"Henri?" Cecile asked, looking at Irene in confusion. "How do you know him?"

Sedusky looked back between Cecile and Irene. He forgotten that the two hadn't meet, or even knew that Irene was his sister. He had been wondering when this moment would happen when the two would finally meet, but he had more important things to worry about.

"I'm his sister." Irene explained quickly, causing Cecile's eyes to widen.

Irene turned her attention from Cecile over to Sedusky. "Do you know whats happening right now?"

"Who doesn't?" Sedusky replied. "I'm sure every person in Moscow with a T.V knows what's 'going on' right now."

Sedusky noticed the man standing next to Irene, whom he hadn't seen before or recognized. He was about to ask, when Cecile answered all his questions for him, and surprising him at the same time.

"Hi Obi." Cecile said, waving to the man, causing Sedusky and even Irene to look at her in confusion.

"Obi?" Sedusky and Irene asked together, looking over at the man in the gray suit, expecting an explanation

The man smiled and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, we've met before." He explained. "My name's Stephan Obreiski, FBI."

_"FBI?" _Sedusky thought to himself, studying Obreiski carefully. _"Whats an American doing here?"_

"I'm sure you have some questions, but now's really not the time." Obreiski said. "Theres much more important things happening at the moment."

Sedusky quickly caught himself and remembered why they were here in the first place. Vladimir Makarov was inside the building, while they were outside talking. Introductions and formalities could wait, there where more pressing matters to attend to.

"He's on the third floor." Obreiski said, heading inside the T.V station. "Let's get up there before we give him to much of a chance to escape.."

Sedusky nodded. "Agreed."

* * *

"...Murder, war, famine and poverty. Theses are things you have plenty of. And who do you have to thank for this?"

Webb stood outside a electronics store with in a group of people staring through the display glass, watching Makarov's broadcast. Webb was already thinking about how this would effect the USSA, as well as what they would do in responce.

He didn't know if Makarov was trying to accomplish. Whatever it was, it had something to do with fighting the government, and President Vorshevsky. It was a goal that was the same as theirs, and almost the same reasons.

But Makarov was almost trying to convince everyone to fight against Vorshevsky as well, as if he was going ot use them in a massive public uprising to overthrow the Kremlin. How could the public ever side with him, with all he had done?

"You were desperate, you were scared." Makarov said as Webb continued to listen. "And in your fear, you turned to the now President Vorshevsky for help. For protection and security."

"He promised you peace, he promised you wealth, but what has the final outcome been? Thousands of Russian soldiers dead and a nation crippled and slowly rotting from the inside. And yet you still continued to trust him."

"He tries to protect you, but yet you are attacked in your own city by a radical American. He tries to give you peace, but instead, he's brought war to your doorstep."

"So if you truly trust this government, then you can continue to live in fear and desperation. But if you know what I know. If you see what I see. Then I guarantee you, you know the real truth..."

"And the real truth, is the truth this government doesn't want you to know..."

Webb watched as the black ultranationalist symbol vanished and was replaced by static, the voice of Makarov now gone.

Webb narrowed his eyes. _"The Patriot...And now Vladimir Makarov..."__

* * *

_

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	14. Riches To Rags

Stephan Obreiski stood outside the broadcast door, continuing to watch the FSB try and break through. Makarov had sealed himself inside, having seemingly welded the door shut from the inside, making it impossible to open from either side. No one had entered or left that room since the broadcast started, and everyone still trapped inside wouldn't be going anywhere until they gotten through the door. With potential hostages still trapped inside, a level of care had to be taken, but the fact that Vladimir Makarov was just behind a single door was still on everyone's mind.

But another thing that was on his mind was the recent acquiescence of Irene's sister, Henri, whom he had been recently and unexpectedly introduced too. He would have never of guessed that the two were related, considering just how different they acted towards him. One respected him and showed sympathy for his experience during the war, while the other, condemned and hated him with a passion.

It could be said that the two siblings were compete opposites of each other, in least of terms of how they treated him. While everyone looked at him with suspicion, Irene had taken a full fledged hatred towards him in the little time the two had been together. Every word he said to her was met with hostility and bitterness, and just the fact of him being around her seemed to make her even more hateful towards him. It seemed he had finally met the one person his was expecting to hold a grudge against him, and that person was Irene Sedusky.

He hoped that he wouldn't have to work with her for very much longer, as it was nearly impossible to work with her as it was. Maybe he could possibly move over to the Investigation Bureau with Henri and Kowalski if he played his cards right with Lukin. Anything to separate himself from Irene.

But there was a more pressing matter in front of him. He continued to wait as the FSB continued to break down the door, now cutting through it was a gas cutter, sparks flying as it continued to burn through the metal door. He didn't know how long it would take, but it didn't matter anyway. Whoever was behind the broadcast was just behind this door, and they weren't going no where.

* * *

Matthew Webb continued to stand outside the electronics's store continuing to watch the news unfold regarding the current development regarding Makarov's public message. It had happened so fast and sudden that it had stunned an entire nation, including him. Now another potential opponent had presented itself to the USSA, and no one still had any idea as to how dangerous Vladimir Makarov could be.

Webb had been thinking about the effect Makarov would have on the USSA, being both positive and negative. While he didn't knew if Makarov realized it or not, he had help further the USSA's goal in his stunt. He had sent another wave of fear through Moscow, one that would only strengthen and help the USSA, as well as The Patriot. It may have gave them a new enemy, but it had also added more fuel to an ever increasing fire.

That being said, Webb was one of the many who knew just how dangerous a man like Makarov was. Whatever he was trying to find or achieve, Webb knew that he would do anything to get it. He was smart and clever, and it wouldn't surprise Webb if the police at the T.V station would be unable to catch him. Makarov was more complex then what met the eye, and Webb was well aware of it.

Vladimir Makarov was planning something, and what ever it was, Webb was certain it would involve The Patriot, as well as him and the rest of the USSA. It would only be a matter of time before the Patriot and Makarov crossed paths. Webb was certain of it.

_"The Patriot and Makarov" _Webb thought to himself as he continued to watch the news. _"Only a matter of time..."_

"...In other news, the amount of destruction from last years invasion continues to effect major American cities, including New York City." The newscaster said, causing Webb to take notice. "...With an untold level of destruction, it is still hard for military officials to find and indentify _the _bodies of soldiers declared missing action..."

Just the mention of the words New York City reminded Webb of his home, the one he had left for another, a life he had left behind. It was a life he had long tried to forget. He knew he could never go back, nor did he want to. He had done what he had done. The past was in the past. It was a place he could never call home again. It was a place he would never returned too.

It seemed as though it was only yesterday when he had made the fateful decision to run away from home during the aftermath of the Russian invasion, seemingly only yesterday...

* * *

"Master Courtland, there you are."

Matthew Courtland-Webb looked up to see the family butler, Davis, standing by the door to the entrance of main corridor of the mansion. Davis had been a family servent of the Courtlands for generations, and was still serving the family despite his growing age. He had known and respected Davis for his quiet wisdom and hospitality, but today was a rare occasion where Webb didn't want to hear any of it.

He had to talked to his 'father' or step father in truth. Jonathan Courtland was one of the wealthiest proprietors of land in the state of New York, and his name was prestigious and legendary to many. His step father held a great deal of power and influence among many people, as well as his business partners. Anyone even closely related to a Courtland was considered to be royalty in the social ladder of New York City. Tailored suits and servants that catered to your every order where just regular parts of Webb's life. But it hadn't been so luxurious years ago.

He had been born to his mother and father, and grew up as any other boy living in the city. He mother was a nurse and his father a street cop, just the average type of lifestyle you would expect to find. It was setting that wasn't out of place for a young Matthew Webb growing up in the big city.

But that average lifestyle had been drastically turned around when his mother found one of the patient's in the emergency room to be his father. A simple street hood fired a single pistol shot, and it had changed his life forever. His mother didn't say a word for nearly a week, and he fell into his own level of depression. It seemed like it was a hole that he could never get out of.

But suddenly, his mother felt revived and full of life once again, and soon she was her normal self. Webb couldn't understand. He knew that she loved her husband dearly, and the two were happy together. He also knew his mother was a strong woman, but even she seemed to recover far to quickly. He was baffled to as how she had become herself again. It wasn't till later Webb learned the real truth behind his mother's sudden mood change.

Jonathan Courtland had been the key behind everything. A popular and just man, he showed sympathy towards his mother when they had lost his father. Webb was suspicious of the new face, but soon learned to slowly accept the man as a part of his family, and as his new father, even though his opinion towards him wasn't the same as his mother's.

His mother remarried, and Webb's and Courtland's family merged as one. Jonathan had been divorced already and already had four daughters, all younger then Webb. They became his new family, and he became the older brother they never had. They quickly became a group of misfits, constantly running around the large mansion, playing hide and seek or tag around the grounds. Life was good once again.

Webb slowly began to adjust to the style of living that he had previously not experienced. He was educated at a private school for boys, and given a strict schedule by his step father. It was something he was rebellious to conform to, but did it nonetheless. He still was an average teen living in New York City, slowly growing up.

But that all changed on that fateful summer's day. Webb looked up to the sky to see a hail of parachutes falling to the sky all around him, planes and jets screaming overhead. In just a few short hours, his life had been changed dramatically once again.

Being rich, Webb was well protected during the invasion and enjoyed comforts that many could not. Although he and Jonathan had made it safely into the bunker, his mother and his four step sisters had not. Still trapped outside in the harsh environment of war, Webb couldn't stop but continue to think if they were alright, or if they were still alive or not. It was nearly a week until the Russian troops finally left New York, and the death toll could be taken. Webb waited days and days for any news for his mother or his step sisters, until he finally saw what he had dreaded the most.

Maria Webb. Sarah Courtland. Samantha Courtland. Stephine Courtland. Susan Courtland. Five names he had been dreading to find on the deceased persons list. He felt like he had lost every familiar person known to him. He hadn't made any friends at school, or had a girlfriend. All he had left was his name, and his arrogant step father that he knew felt nothing towards him.

Webb felt sadness at first, then growing anger. Not towards the Russians, but to his arrogant step father. He seemed unmoved that he had just lost his second wife as well as his daughters, as if nothing had happened at all. Instead of checking to see if his mother was alright, he was instead looking out for his business and protection of his assets. It was greed that compelled Jonathan Courtland to abandon Webb, and his deceased mother.

Now in the wake of reconstruction, Matthew Courtland-Webb stood inside his step father's mansion, wearing the suit and tie given to him. He only wanted to see and hear one person at the moment, and that as Jonathan Courtland.

"Master Courtland, did you here me?" Davis said as Webb walked by. "I was-

"Save it Davis." Webb snapped, continuing to walk down the long hallway towards his father's office. "You know that isn't my name."

"With all due respect sir, Jonathan Courtland is your father and his name-

"He's my step father." Webb replied sharply. "That man will never be my father."

"The man is your legal guardian and father." Davis replied. "Despite what you think, he is your-

"Just because a piece of paper says so doesn't make it true!" Webb yelled, reaching his step father's office. "Like I said, that man will never be my father, no matter what some 'document' says."

Webb pulled open the doors and stormed into his father's office. Rich furniture and fancy decor were present as Webb entered the office. It only added to the man's arrogance and ego that he was above everything and everyone, including Webb. He knew that he was trash in his eyes, he had always been since the day he had married his mother.

Jonathan Courtland himself was seated at his oak desk, looking over documents and continuing to do work even in the wake of the recent destruction. While people struggled to survive in the aftermath of the destruction, the only thing his step father was concerned about was keeping his families financial assets afloat. Even after losing his four daughters and wife.

"Father." Webb said with disgust. "My mother and sisters are dead."

"Old news I've already heard." Courtland replied, not looking up from his papers. "What about it?"

"What about it!" Webb shouted in anger. "It's like you don't even care!"

"Watch your tone Matthew." Courtland snapped, glaring up at Webb. "While you may have gotten away with this type of behavior around your mother, I will-

"Why should I give a damn what you care!" Webb yelled. "It's not like you could care about your own goddamn wife, or your children!"

"You can never understand what there death's mean to me." Courtland replied, now standing out of his chair. "You don't understand, because you and I aren't of the same blood."

"Same blood?"

"You don't understand what I am. I am Jonathan Courtland, one of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world. You claim I don't care, that I don't understand, but in reality, it is you who doesn't understand Matthew."

"Understand?" Webb repeated. "How can you even think like that, even after what has-

"You have no idea what it means to be elite." Courtland continued. "Men like me cannot be seen wallowing in self pity. That's what it means to be elite. That's what it means to be part of the Courtland name."

"Then I don't want to be part of your damn family anymore!" Webb said, tears in his eyes. "I resent you and your stupid family name! You can have your money and your power. I don't want to be part of it anymore!"

Webb ripped the Courtland family crest off of his suit and threw it to the side. He stormed out of the building out of the office and away from his step father, anger and heart broken. He didn't want to be apart of the rich and elite any more. He wanted to leave this life for something better. He wanted anything but this.

There wasn't anything left for him anymore. His mother was dead. His sister's, the only friends and family he had were dead. Everything he had known to love in his life was dead. Nothing remained for him here anymore.

There was just a small card in his pocket, with the name of an American General and Shadow Company written on the front. It was the only thing he had left.

* * *

"...While the FSB are still on sight, there hasn't been any positive identity of either Vladimir Makarov or his accomplices. Police and security officials are still searching the buliding in an attempt to find and capture the man behind the broadcast. We'll give you updates as the story unfolds..."

Webb closed his eyes and sighed,wondering what was happening over at the T.V station, and if they had really captured Vladimir Makarov. As much as he wanted to go over there, it would draw unnecessary attention to himself, as well as risking his and other members of the USSA safety.

He closed his eyes and sighed, continuing on his walk in an attempt to clear his head.

* * *

Sedusky readied his gun as the FSB finally cut the final section of door, allowing it to be broken down at the slightest kick. He gripped his pistol and prepared himself for what was behind the door. He didn't know if Makarov would recognize him or what he would do once the too met again. Whatever would happen, Sedusky wasn't all to keen on confronting Vladimir Makarov for a second time, especially since before.

"Door charged primed." The masked FSB officer said. "Ready to breach."

Three FSB members stacked up on the door and Sedusky raised his pistol. Irene, Cecile and Obreiski did the same as they carefully trained their guns on the door.

"Breaching!"

A loud bang echoed down the hallway as the charge on the door went off, the force of the explosion blowing the door open. The three FSB troops quickly poured into the room, guns swiveling in all directions. Sedusky quickly followed close behind as he entered the broadcast room.

Everything was eerily quiet and no one could see a thing. Dense smoke clouded everyone's vision as they proceeded into the room, carefully checking their surroundings as they moved silently through the smoke.

Suddenly, there was a sound of a muffled scream, causing everyone to snap instantly towards the sound. They looked to see a man bound and gagged, laying on the floor. As the smoke cleared, the room suddenly revealed nearly dozens more, bound and gagged. Sedusky looked around the room, trying to find any sign of Makarov or any place he could be hiding. But there wasn't anywhere he could of gone, there was just no way.

There was only one possibility. Vladimir Makarov had given the broadcast.

Only he hadn't been there at all.

* * *

Vladimir Makarov sat quietly in the park as he continued to stare at the chess board set up in the park, the rain continuing to fall ever so lightly in a soft mist. Everything had gone exactly to plan, nothing had been messed up.

He knew that he had to be under watch by Carpathia, which made things difficult. However Carpathia still thought that he was Yuri Vasily, at least for now. It was a small advantage to Makarov, but one he could still use none the less.

But what would trouble Carpathia would be the broadcast that he had heard, as well as figuring out who had sent it. Carpathia would first suspect him of being the first suspect. But what would come as a shock to him was that he would find Makarov far away from the action, sitting peacefully in the park like nothing had ever happened.

He wouldn't have any explanation to give, no excuse that could find Makarov guilty of anything. It was the perfect set up. While Carpathia tried to figure out who was behind the broadcast, Makarov would pretend to be Yuri Vasily, and continue to live the normal life of a Moscow college professor.

_"I've made the first move..."_ Makarov thought to himself as he looked at the chess board. _"Now what are you going to do, Carpathia?"_

"Mr Vasily?"

Makarov turned around to find two cops standing behind him, their guns drawn, staring at Makarov.

"Yes?" Makarov asked, studying them carefully.

"Your under arrest by order from Potentate Carpathia." The officer said, taking out a pair of handcuffs. "Please come with us sir."

"What this all about?" Makarov asked, acting surprised. "I haven't done-

"For your own sake sir, I asked you to comply." The officer said sternly.

Makarov placed his wrists out. "Of course." He replied, allowing the officer to place handcuffs around his wrists. The two brought Makarov to his feet and slowly began to escort him to the nearby police car.

Makarov smirked as he entered the police crusier._ "Just as planned..."

* * *

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	15. Familiar Faces

Henri Sedusky continued to study the man through the one way mirror sitting in the interrogation room. He had short black hair, and was handcuffed to the desk. He had his head pointing downwards, staring at the ground in silence. He noticed the familiar coloring of his eyes, one green, the other blue.

There was no doubt about it, this was him. Even after hearing Carpathia's outrageous story of what really happened to Vladimir Makarov on that day, he still couldn't believe it until he saw it with his own eyes.

Yuri R. Vasily. A college professor in Moscow, was sitting in a interrogation room under charges that he was in fact Vladimir Makarov. According to Carpathia, they had done something that Sedusky thought was out of some science fiction novel: Wipe a person's entire memory and replace it with another.

They had somehow made Makarov into a average college professor teaching criminal science in Moscow. They had kept a close eye on him at all times, always monitoring his every move and every location. They had kept him alive, taking away his old life and giving him another, and used him in an attempt to lure any remaining Ultranationalists out of hiding.

But now Carpathia was saying that this man was Makarov, that somehow, someway, he had regained his memories and was once again Vladimir Makarov himself. It was something Sedusky had never even heard of, or would have considered believing.

But the truth was right before his eyes. The man sitting in the interrogation room was indeed Vladimir Makarov, but he was called Yuri Vasily on the report when he was arrested. Sedusky didn't know what he was going to do, but Carpathia wanted to know one thing and one thing only: Is this man Vladimir Makarov, or is he still Yuri Vasily? And if he isn't, who is this new Makarov that gave the broadcast? He had so many questions to ask, but he had a feeling that none of them would be answered.

"Are you sure about this?" Sedusky asked, turning to Carpathia. "Do you really think that this man is Vladimir Makarov?"

"Make no mistake Inspector, that man is Makarov." Carpathia replied. "What I need you to determine is whether or not that man knows that."

Sedusky nodded. "I'll do my best, but I'm not making any promises."

He grabbed Yuri Vasily's file and headed for the door, reluctantly towards the interrogation room.

* * *

Vladimir Makarov continued to stare at his feet, still deep in thought of what Carpathia was planning. He wouldn't doubt that the man was watching him right now, maybe only feet away, staring through the two way mirror. He had already planned for this, and knew exactly what to do. He couldn't show any sign that would cause suspicion, anything that would reveal him to be Vladimir Makarov. For right now, he was Yuri Vasily, a man confused and troubled by being arrested by the police. He would just play the act, and give Carpathia noting.

The door opened and Makarov glanced up to see a familiar face. Brown hair and green eyes, it was one of the people he last saw before everything came crashing down on him. He would never forget that day, or the man who had stopped him from saving his sister. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before they crossed paths again, and just as he predicted, they had...

"Mr. Vasily, my name is Inspector Sedusky." The detective introduced, taking a set across from Makarov. "I'm here to ask you a few questions."

Makarov instantly started to work his act. "What is going on?" Makarov asked. "What cause do you have to arrest me?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Sedusky replied calmly. "All I ask is for your cooperation, and then I can provide you with answers."

_"No doubt he's lying..." _Makarov thought to himself. _"This is too simple. Carpathia is just trying to figure out if I regained my memory or not...I'll I have to do is play dumb, and they'll have no reason to keep me here..."_

Makarov closed his eyes and sighed. "Fine. I'll do my best. What is your questions?"

* * *

"Yuri, where were you at approximately 11:35 Am this morning?" Sedusky asked, beginning to create an alibi for 'Vasily'.

"I was in the park, reading." Vasily replied. "I went to the park after the rain finally died down a little, you know, to get some fresh air. I sat at a bench for a few minutes and just relaxed in the park. After that, two police officers arrested me without warning or reason and here I am now."

"Is this about the broadcast that happened?" Vasily asked, looking at Sedusky. "I mean, is that why I'm under arrest?"

Sedusky closed his eyes. "I'm afraid I can't answer that Yuri. But let me assure you that any confusion you might have-

"I was arrested without warning or explanation!" Vasily yelled, his anger rising. "The least you can give me is an explanation!"

Sedusky narrowed his eyes at Vasily, carefully studying him. This didn't make since. This man didn't seem like Vladimir Makarov at all. Sedusky knew that if he had ever met Makarov, he would do everything to kill him. But the only hostility his felt from him was the anger of being arrested for no reason, which was a natural feeling anyone would have in this situation. It was the reaction Yuri Vasily would most like give.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not in a position to give you the answers you want." Sedusky replied sincerely. "If you just answer my questions, we can figure this out and clear everything out."

Vasily shook his head and sighed. "Fine, just continue..."

"I understand your a professor Yuri." Sedusky started, staring at 'Vasily's' file.

"Yes." Vasily replied quietly.

"You like what you do for a living?"

"Of course." Vasily answered. "Its my livelihood."

"What do you like about it?" Sedusky asked. "What makes you get up everyday to go do it?"

Vasily paused thinking about the question. He closed his eyes before he gave his answer.

"The students." Vasily replied. "The students and the other people I work with."

Sedusky looked down at the file given to him by Carpathia. Everything about Yuri Vasily was on this file. His likes, his dislikes, his hobbies, anything you wanted to know about him, and only things that the man Yuri Vasily would know.

Vladimir Makarov couldn't have gotten his hands on this kind of information. And from what Carpathia had explained to him, if Makarov had regained his memory, he would have had no knowledge of ever being Yuri Vasily. There was no way he could know this information, unless he was Yuri Vasily.

The only outcome he could see was that this man was Yuri Vasily, and not Vladimir Makarov. But on the inside, he knew the truth. He knew that this man was indeed Vladimir Makarov. The big mystery was if he had regained his memory or not. That was the key to it all. But with no concrete evidence, they could do nothing. They had no reason to hold this man under arrest.

"Are we done Inspector?" Vasily asked. "Cause if you don't mind, I would like to get back to the real world."

Sedusky closed the file and sighed. "I believe so. I'll be right back."

He took the file and headed for the door, defeated. He couldn't find anything that would prove that this man was Vladimir Makarov. No reaction, no word, nothing. Nothing at all. There was nothing he could see, but maybe Carpathia had found something he hadn't.

"Well?" Sedusky asked as he walked into the viewing room. "What do you think?"

Carpathia was staring at the man still sitting in the interrogation room, studying him carefully. After what seemed like an eternity, he gave his answer.

"Nothing..." Carpathia replied. "No cause for suspicion."

"But your not convinced?"

Carpathia gave a small smile. "Correct. But it's not going to do us any good keeping him here."

Carpathia sighed. "Release him. Theres nothing we can find from keeping him here."

"But if he really is Vladimir Makarov..." Sedusky started.

"We'll still be keeping a close eye on him at all times." Carpathia explained quickly. "If he even shows the slightest sign that he's Makarov, we'll arrest him."

"But what if he really is Makarov?" Sedusky asked. "Then what? You still have to deal with the war, and the police are swamped enough as it is dealing with this Patriot case, and now we have this to deal with?"

Carpathia paused, thinking to himself. "Things will get out of hand if they're not addressed... We can't have the public up in an uproar..."

"Then what do we do Potenate?" Sedusky asked. "If Makarov is really out there, then he could be just as dangerous as the Patriot, maybe even a bigger threat."

"Then I guess we'll just have to stop them both." Carpathia replied simply.

Sedusky sighed. "It not that simple sir...We just don't have the resources..."

Carpathia smiled. "But I know someone who does."

Sedusky raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you know someone?" He asked, looking at Carpathia in suspicion.

He had quickly learned not to trust anyone associated with Carpathia, which included the man himself. He had already enough things to deal with at the moment, and watching his back behind Carpathia was something he didn't wanted added to his ever growing list of problems.

"She's an long time friend of mine, and someone who can provide help." Carpathia explained as he reached into his pocket. "If anyone can be trusted to stopping the Patriot and Makarov, its her."

He laid a small card on the table and headed for the door. "Don't worry about Vasily." Carpathia assured. "We'll have a close eye on him, I promise you. Ellien will take care of him."

Carpathia opened the door and Sedusky was left alone in the viewing room. Vasily was still inside, still visible through the two way mirror. It wasn't Vasily, but Makarov sitting in that chair. It wasn't Vasily, but Makarov who had given that broadcast. There were just to many questions, and no answers.

Yuri Vasily, whether he was Vladimir Makarov or not, was innocent by law. There was nothing they could do by keeping him here. They would have no choice but to let him go.

Sedusky looked at the card Carpathia had left, briefly mentioning someone that could stop both the Patriot and Makarov at the same time. Whoever the person was, they would have to be at the top of their game, being able to out think and out smart both the Patriot and Makarov, and find them both at the same time. It was something Sedusky would find impossible, but Carpathia sounded confident in who ever he was talking about, would be able to do it.

He took the small card and read the front. The entire thing was blank, the only thing visible was a name.

_"Ellien Lelend..."_ Sedusky read to himself, looking over at the card. _"The supposed 'friend' of Carpathia that is the only one who can strop the Patriot and Makarov..."_

* * *

Makarov stepped out of the police station and back onto the Moscow streets. While it may have been a slight problem, it was one that was solved with little to no thought what so ever. The police couldn't have him imprisoned, and there for, could remain free to continue towards his goal.

No one would be able to stop him. The police would be swamped trying to deal with the USSA and the patriot. Carpathia and Vorshevsky would be dealing with the war. The Patriot would be focused on both of them, leaving him the perfect opportunity to strike. He would start by finding the Patriot, and then finding his sister.

All would go just according to plan, just like the small incident with the police. No one would be able to touch him. And when he found the Patriot, then he would deal with Carpathia and Vorshevsky. And by that time, it would already be to late for them.

_"All according to plan..." _Makarov thought to himself, continuing to walk along the street. _"Just one step after another, its just like a game of-_

His train of thought broke when he noticed the ringing of a phone next to him. He glanced over to his right to see a lone phone booth, its telephone ringing. Makarov looked around to see if someone was close by, expecting a call, but there was no one in sight.

He carefully approached it proceeded through inside the small booth. He carefully looked around before taking the phone off its hook, raising it to his ear slowly before finally giving an answer.

"Hello?" Makarov asked, waiting for a reply. No one responded, the phone still silent.

"Hello, is anyone there?" Makarov asked again, still waiting for a response. Finally, a reply came in the sound of an altered voice.

"This is the Patriot..."

* * *

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	16. Ultimatum

The entire area was silent as Makarov stood frozen in shock, not believing his ears after what he had just heard. He couldn't believe it. How could he have made a mistake? There just was no way that he could have been discovered already.

Question's flashed through his head as he looked at the phone. _"How did he find me?...How could he of found me?..."_

There was just no way. How could the Patriot find him, even only after this short time. He hadn't made any mistake or slip up. The only one who should even have any idea who he was was Carpathia, and he wouldn't be working with the Patriot. This was impossible...

"Vladimir Makarov." The Patriot said over the phone. "I'm watching you right now..."

Makarov glanced around him, looking around the street. Dozens of cars and people were all around him, some walking along the street, some sitting on benches waiting for the bus, and some talking on their cell phone. It was impossible to tell if one of them was the Patriot or not, but just the idea that he could only be feet away from him made him about his sister, and that the person holding her could be only a block away.

"Where are you?" Makarov demanded silently, still trying to figure out where the Patriot might be. "What do you want?"

"There are exactly five snipers watching you as well." The Patriot continued, ignoring Makarov. "And if you make one wrong move, you'll be on the ground before you even know it."

Makarov eyes flashed around, scanning the buildings around him, trying to see if he could find any of the snipers. He couldn't see anything. Nothing was exposed that would reveal a sniper or gunmen.

Makarov first thought that he was bluffing, that the Patriot wouldn't risk placing snipers in such a crowded part of the city. But Makarov knew that it was foolish to underestimate your enemy, especially one that you knew little about. The Patriot was dangerous, and it could be deadly to underestimate him.

"Then why don't you shoot?" Makarov asked. "What's keeping you from pulling the trigger?"

"You have something I want, and I have something you want."

Makarov suspicions were instantly confirmed._"So he does have Nina...The only question is, what do I have that he wants?..."_

"And what would that be?" Makarov asked again. "What do I have that you could possibly want?"

"President Vorshevsky." The Patriot answered.

Makarov narrowed his eyes. "I don't own him. President Vorshevky is-

"Maybe you misunderstood me." The Patriot said, cutting Makarov off. "Let me explain where you and I stand."

"I know what you want." The Patriot started. "And I need something done."

"So a trade then?" Makarov asked, already beginning to connect the pieces.

"I need you to do one thing for me." The Patriot replied. "If you do that, then you can have your sister."

"Which is?"

"President Vorshevsky." The Patriot replied. "Dead."

"And If I kill him, you'll give me back my sister?" Makarov asked.

"You have my word."

Makarov eyes darkened. "And why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't." The Patriot replied. "But your in no position to negotiate."

Makarov narrowed his eyes. _"Even though I don't trust him, he's right. The only thing Nina serves to him is a bartering chip, and I'm the prize.."_

"If President Vorshevsky isn't dead in 500 days, then your sister will be." The Patriot stated. "I promise you that..."

"I suggest you don't fail." The voice added. "Because I always keep my word. And don't let her well being trouble you. She's sitting in a nice cell, safe and sound. She isn't going no where."

"500 days." Makarov said quietly. "To kill President Vorshevsky..."

"Do we have a deal?" The Patriot asked.

Makarov closed his eyes. "We have a deal, but there is one last thing..."

"And that is?"

"When I do kill Vorshevsky, and when I finally have my sister, you'll be next." Makarov answered as he opened his eyes.

"I will hunt you down. I will figure out who you are. I will find you..."

Makarov eyes darkened. "And I will kill you."

There was silence on the other end of the line, before a slight mocking laugh answered.

"Good luck then..."

There was a small click and then the sound of the dial tone buzzing, telling the caller that the other line had hung up. Makarov silently placed the phone back on its holder, already thinking about the task at hand.

_"500 days...To kill Vorshevky...To save Nina..."_

Makarov clenched his fists._ "I'll do it...I'll kill him...Both of them...And no one is going to stop me..."

* * *

_Sedusky looked down at his watch as he continued to ride the service elevator down to the lower levels of an empty parking garage. The watch was already telling him what he already knew. It was getting late, and he still had no idea what he was about to expect with this meeting. He was already nervous and suspicious of meeting in a parking garage at night, especially someone who was in league with Carpathia. But he had run out of options, and he was beginning to grow desperate in ways of trying to find the Patriot, and deal with this new Makarov threat.

Ellien Lelend. The name he had gotten from Carpathia. The supposed 'solution' to everything. The one person that could stop both Makarov and the Patriot at the same time. He had never even heard of her being mentioned at all, or being mentioned by Carpathia. He didn't know what kind of person she was, or what she looked like. All he had received was a single message telling him to met her at this old parking garage. It made him anxious, but he had questions, ones that needed answers.

The elevator finally reached the basement floor and the doors opened. Sedusky stepped out and looked to see a silent empty parking garage. Not a single living soul could be seen. The only thing he could see was a sleek black car sitting alone in the parking garage. Other then that, the entire place was dead.

Sedusky looked around and slowly stepped out of the elevator, looking around for anyone. Did he meet in the wrong place, or had he come at the wrong time? It didn't make since, this is where the message had told him to come.

"Looking for someone?"

Sedusky turned around to see a slender figure leaning against one of the concrete support pillars. She had dark short hair and was dress in a black blouse, with dark pants to match. As he continued to study her noticed one thing very strange about her, one that caught his eye instantly.

Her eyes were different colors. One was a bright green. The other, an icy blue. Heterochromia. Just like Makarov...

She had a somewhat bored expression on her face as she stood with her arms crossed, staring over at Sedusky. She wasn't what he had pictured her as, but she was right in front of him. Ellien Lelend.

"Umm..." Sedusky started. "Are you-

"Ellien Lelend?" She asked, finishing Sedusky question. "Yes, that would be me."

"Carpathia told me-

"That I would meet you?" She asked, cutting him off again. "Yes, I briefly recall that..."

She eased her self off the pillair and yawned. "I suppose your wondering why your here, Am I right?"

Sedusky nodded, giving her a weird look. "I have somewhat of an idea, but ya, you could say that."

He still didn't trust her. After all, she knew Carpathia, and he already had an idea of the true nature of the man, as well as his friends. Whoever this Ellien Lelend person was, he wasn't about to give his trust to her any to eagerly.

_"I don't know how well she knows Carpathia.." _Sedusky thought to himself. _"But whatever the case, I need to be careful. Who knows how close she is to Carpathia..."_

"Please, I don't need to be associated with that 'man'." Ellien said, causing Sedusky to look up in surprise.

_"How the..."_ Sedusky thought to himself, partly still in shock. "_how the hell could she have..."_

"I can already tell you don't trust me." She said, causing further surprise from Sedusky. "I guess its understandable, considering who told you about me.."

Sedusky stood puzzled. "You mean to tell me you don't work for Carpathia? How I'm I suppose to believe that when-

"True, I do know him, but that doesn't mean I'm in the man's pocket." Ellien replied. "In truth, he's the one who think he owns me..."

Her eyes flashed up at him. "But make no mistake Inspector Sedusky, I'm not Carpathia. And neither do I want to be. To me, the man is trash, just someone who provides me with opportunities. Nothing more then that."

Sedusky crossed his arms. "Alright. Then tell me. Why did you want to meet with me?"

"Because unlike Carpathia, you are someone I can work with." Ellien replied. "You and me are looking for the same thing."

"Which is?"

"The Patriot." She replied. "And now Vladimir Makarov."

Sedusky narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you exactly? Some sort of private detective? Or are you another agent from the FBI or CIA?"

Ellien gave a small smile. "I like to thing of myself as a problem solver...Or rather a puzzle solver...Just someone putting the pieces into the right places, when no one else can."

"The puzzle, is The Patriot." She said. "As well as Yuri Vasily..."

Sedusky's eyes narrowed. _"So she does know about Makarov and 'Vasily..."_

"So you think you can find them?" Sedusky asked. "You think you can solve this 'puzzle.'"

"Have you ever played chess, Inspector Sedusky?"

Sedusky gave a puzzled look. "What does chess have to do with anything?"

"It's a unique game, one that requires wit rather then luck." Ellien explained. "It's just you and the enemy, and the rules are simple: Who ever can outwit the other is the winner..."

"Interesting analogy, but I still don't see what it has to do with all of this." Sedusky replied, still puzzled.

"Its just like this situation right now, wouldn't you agree?" Ellien said. "Its just a big game. that's all it is..."

Sedusky was beginning to get annoyed. He didn't want to speak in riddles and analogies, especially at this time of night.

"Enough of this, what do you want?" He asked sharply.

"Only your cooperation." She replied simply. "The only thing I want is your trust."

Sedusky's eyes narrowed. "That might be a little hard to come by."

"Understandable." She replied. "So why don't I earn it?"

"And how do you expect to do that?" Sedusky asked, still not convinced.

She gave a small smile. "In a game of chess, all you have to do is outsmart your opponent."

"Vladimir Makarov and the Patriot are just criminals, murders and fiends. They can be caught. You just have to be one step ahead of them..."

"I will catch the Patriot." Ellien said. "And I will prove that Yuri Vasily is Vladimir Makarov. I promise you."

* * *

Webb gave a sigh of relief as he finally reached the familiar door of the safehouse apartment. He was tired and with the sun had finally retreated under horizon, sending the sky into night. He was ready for sleep and with all that had happened, no one would blame him. He was curious to see how things would unfold in the coming days, as well as how the Patriot would deal with this new threat.

He placed the key into the lock and slowly opened the door, stepping into the familiar rundown apartment room. As he proceeded through the door and closed it behind him, he noticed the familiar figures of Chloe and Clay sitting silently on the couch in front of him.

"Hey." Webb greeted, giving a small smile. "How are you-

A fist collided with the side of his face and he fell hard to the ground hard. He let out a cry of pain as he grabbed his face, the side of his cheek burning. He felt the warm taste of blood in his mouth and the feeling of blood running from his nose. He looked up to see the all to familiar figure of Nathaniel Miller standing over him, his icy blue eyes sending a cold glare down at him.

"Where the hell where you!" Miller yelled as he delivered a kick into Webb's ribs. Webb let out another yelp as Miller's foot pierced into his side, sending another pain though his body.

"I just went for a walk..." Webb replied weakly, still clutching his side in pain. "I wasn't followed, I made-

"How can you be sure?" Miller shouted, kicking Webb again. "How can you know?"

"I swear!" Webb pleaded. "I made sure, honest-

Miller grabbed Webb by his collar and brought him up to his feet. He slammed him against the wall and held his throat in a vise, choking him.

"In case you haven't heard, Vladimir Makarov has come back to life and is in Moscow!" Miller spat. "And while everyone is dealing with it, your out taking a fucking walk!"

He threw Webb back to the ground and placed his foot on his chest. Miller pressed his foot into Webb's chest, causing him to yell out in pain.

"You worthless piece of shit." Miller said before spitting on Webb. "Don't ever do anything unless under order."

Webb looked to see Miller raise his foot and he delivered a sharp kick to the head, knocking out Webb instantly and sending him into unconsciousness.

* * *

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	17. Justice Always Prevails

Sedusky continued to look at Ellien with a puzzled look. He had been taken back by her, as he was expecting an entirely different person. He didn't know what to think of her. She was either a complete hidden genius, or just plain crazy. Carpathia seemed certain that she could somehow stop the Patriot and Makarov, but he was having a more difficult time believing her. It was one thing to say something, but it was an entirely different thing to actually do something.

The police was currently dealing with the recent rise in crime, as well as the USSA. Combined with this war and Makarov, things were getting out of hand fast, and soon the entire city would be in chaos. And with the army fighting the war, there would be little anyone could do.

It was for this reasons, why Sedusky found it hard to believe a single person could somehow stop all of this. Ellien Lelend had a difficult task ahead of her, and if she was anything Carpathia told him about, she could do it. But that was only talk, and he wouldn't be having any faith in her anytime soon unless he saw results. Only then would he trust her.

"Right." Ellien started. "Let begin, shall we?"

Sedusky raised an eyebrow. "What, you mean right now?"

She ignored him and pulled out a simple notebook and a sleek sliver pen. Sedusky looked at the two items in confusion.

_"What the hell are you going to do with that?" _Sedusky thought as he continued to stare at her in growing confusion.

"Lets start from the beginning." Ellien said as she clicked her pen. "First, the USSA. Let figure out what we know about them so far."

Sedusky raised a hand in misunderstanding. "Um, wouldn't it make more sense if we went over this someplace-

"Waste of time." She said bluntly, wasting no time in cutting him off. "Discussing it in a office wouldn't provide us with anymore information then if we were to discuss it here. So please, continue."

"Um, okay..." Sedusky said slowly. "Well, we don't know much about the USSA itself, other then its an American organization that uses public attacks and murders to further there goals."

"And what do you think they're trying to accomplish in that attack?" Ellien asked as she scribbled in her notebook. "What do you think the purpose of the attack was?"

"To me, two things." Sedusky replied, thinking back to the attack. "A message an experiment. A message to the Russian people, and an experiment of a new weapon."

"The weapon was chemical, correct?"

"Yes, nerve gas." Sedusky replied. "But its something We've never seen before."

"Your referring to the fact that it killed only some of the people in the room, but not all of them, right?" Ellien asked, causing Sedusky to look over in surprise.

"How do you know this?" Sedusky asked, staring at her in suspicion. "Details like that weren't released to the public..."

"Carpathia gave me the files on the attack." Ellien explained. "Everything that was gathered at the scene was copied and given to me."

"Then why are you asking me for answers you already know?" Sedusky demanded, his distrust increasing by the minute. "If you have all this information, why do you need to talk to me?"

"Because just like you, Carpathia doesn't trust me either." Ellien replied. "The report given to me went through him first. It was altered, manipulated, changed. A desperate attempt to cover up information that would send the public into panic."

"So you think I would know more because I was there." Sedusky said. "Because I would know something."

"Its like I said, Carpathia doesn't 'own' me." Ellien replied. "And further more, I'm not under his orders, so don't get the idea in your head that I'm working for him."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Now, lets continue. What do we know about the Patriot?"

"Again, nothing much." Sedusky replied. "We have a rough profile of what the Patriot could be, but other then that, nothing else."

"The Patriot is no doubt in Moscow, but the big question is, where?" Ellien said, thinking to her self. "If the Patriot is in Moscow, then he must be close to the USSA members."

"There has to be a large complex chain of command that allows the Patriot to operate without being discovered." Ellien said, continuing to write in her notebook. "If that is the case, then there has to be some sort of leader within the group. And if we follow the chain, eventually...

"It will lead us to the Patriot." Sedusky finished.

"You said there were four names heard on security cameras during the attack. What were the four names?"

"Miller, Williams, Webb and Beckett," Sedusky replied, remembering the four names of the USSA members. "With Miller being the leader."

"Then Miller and the three others are our prime suspects." Ellien said. "If we find them, then we can find their superior. After that, we find that person's superior. We'll just keep climbing the chain of command until we find the Patriot."

"Simple enough, but how do we begin finding Miller?" Sedusky asked. "Theres millions living in the city, and I can guarantee you that they would be using a false name."

"I understand there's a profiler from the FBI currently working on the case, am I right?" Ellien asked.

Sedusky was confused at first, but remembered the brief encounter with Agent Obreiski at the T.V station earlier that day. Cecile seemed to know him, and his sister was with him as well. Obreiski had told him about his reasons for being in the city, as well what his part was in the investigation. He had mentioned working on it briefly to him, but never gotten into to much detail.

"Yes, I actually met him recently." Sedusky replied, thinking about Stephan. "He's currently working out of special intelligence."

"It would make more since if he were working under the investigating body rather then out of there..."

"It's just there way of keeping a close eye of him." Sedusky explained. "It wasn't my decision."

"Well whoever decision it was, it will have to be changed." Ellien replied. "Now, where were we?"

"The Patriot and-

"Ah yes, The Patriot." Ellien said, wasting no time in cutting Sedusky off. "I believe the difficulty behind this case is due to the lack of evidence at the current time."

"And how do you expect to deal with that?" Sedusky asked, crossing his arms.

"With our final piece to this puzzle." Ellien replied. "Yuri Vasily."

"How would 'he' be any help to us?" Sedusky asked, thinking about Makarov. "I mean, I know he's under suspicion and all, but how to you expect to find the Patriot-

"Because Vladimir Makarov just announced his 'return' on national television, I would suspect it was to outdo the Patriot." Ellien explained. "The two are against each other, I would suspect at least one if not both are trying to find the other."

Ellien looked down at her notebook. "If Yuri Vasily is in fact Vladimir Makarov like I suspect, then he would no doubt be trying to find the Patriot. And I'm sure the Patriot is trying to find him as well."

"The key to finding the Patriot, is Vladimir Makarov." Ellien explained. "If we stay around Vladimir Makarov long enough, I can guarantee you it will lead us to the Patriot."

"But what if he isn't Makarov?" Sedusky asked. "What if he is just Yuri Vasily like he believes."

Ellien gave a rare smile. "I'm fairly confident that he is. And you just need to set the right traps to prove it."

Ellien put the notebook back in her pocket and sighed. "Once I met Yuri Vasily, I'll be able to tell if he isn't Makarov or not."

She looked down at her watch. "Well continue this discussion another time, right now I have to think about all this. In the meantime, continue your investigation, inspector. You never know what new light could be shed."

"Um, sure..." Sedusky said, still having more questions then ever.

"And please don't tell anyone of this meeting." She added as she walked back. "And that includes Potentate Carpathia."

Sedusky nodded. "Sure, I promise."

"Make no attempt to contact me, I'll do that on my own." Ellien added before heading over to the black car. "Once I figure out what to do, then well meet again."

"Justice always wins, Inspector Sedusky." Ellien said, a small smile on her face. "It always does in the end..."

* * *

Vladimir Makarov laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was thinking about how to deal with the current task at hand, as well as with the situation around him. He knew that he had to be under close surveillance at all times. He had already suspected wire taps and camera's in his apartment, and there had to be someone tailing him.

He was under close eye, but he just had to live a normal like. A normal life like Yuri Vasily would. He wouldn't give them anything. No sign or change in his behavior. No difference in schedule or activity. Everything would look like normal. It was an easy problem to get around, but it also presented its list of problems.

He couldn't move or do anything in risk of blowing his cover. He had thought about what would happen if he did, and went over all the possibilities that would happen. He didn't want the police to be searching for him, as he couldn't risk being caught. If he was, who would save Nina? There would be no one, and no one would be able to save him.

He still had Anatoly and Victor, who had gotten an apartment in the slums, along with Elena. Anya was entirely different story. Unlike the others, she was not so willing to trust him, and neither was he. After all, she had shot and abandoned him, and would have probably killed him if given the chance. She had made her motives quite clear to him when they had met again.

_"I don't believe Rianofski's dream, not yours. The only reason i'm here is for my freedom, and nothing else. I still don't see you in any different way as I did before."_

He couldn't blame her for saying it, but he couldn't care nonetheless. If she wanted to stay around, it was her idea, not his. He would always be careful around her though, and have a close eye on her as well. He didn't like to work with someone who's motivation was different from your own. These were the building blocks of betrayal, and he wouldn't let her do it a second time. Anya Kosov was still a pawn to him, but she was an unstable one. But there was nothing he could do about it, as he could need all the help he could get.

The four would continue to search, continue to find anything that would lead him to the Patriot. And while he was doing that, he would begin to formulate a plan to kill President Vorshevsky. Eventually, one of them would succeed, and it would lead him to Nina in the end. He had 500 days, and he would make sure to use every single one of them to the fullest.

_""It all begins tomorrow."_ Makarov thought to himself. Just 500 days to kill Vorshevsky. Then I can have my sister.

Makarov reached over to the lamp and turned off the light. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, still thinking about the task at hand.

* * *

Matthew Webb felt the soft moist feeling on his forehead, and winced at the pain. His entire body felt sore and his head was throbbing. He slowly opened his eyes to find the familiar face of Chloe Williams sitting over him, padding his head with a small washcloth.

"Well, glad to see your awake." Chloe said as Webb opened his eyes. "You took quite a beating last night."

Webb rubbed his head sat up straight on the couch. He glanced over at the clock to find it to be nine in the morning. He briefly remembered Miller kicking and beating him to a pulp before blacking out. A experience he had endured more then once, and more times then he wanted to.

He rubbed his blond hair and sighed. "Where is everyone?" He asked, looking around the safehouse.

"Miller and Bucket left early this morning." Chloe explained as she headed towards the kitchen. "Said something about meeting a few people, I don't know."

Webb leaned back and closed his eyes. _"Well, at least Miller isn't here..."_

As he sighed, he remembered something he had promised to do. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small crumpled piece of paper_, _containing an address on it. It was the one he had copied down when he had broken into Miller's office. The first lead towards finding the Patriot.

After all that had happened with Makarov, he had forgotten all about it. But now with some of the commotion cleared, he could get to work and begin. But he could wait for a little bit, especially since his head was throbbing and he legs felt like

Webb laid back down and sighed. _"Just have to take it easy for a bit. Then I'll see where this address leads me..."

* * *

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	18. Collecting Debts

Webb closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing his sore ribs in an attempt to offer some relief to his already battered body. He knew it hadn't been the first beating he endured, especially one from Miller. It seems after the many times he had been beat, he had always submitted and just took it. After all, it wasn't like Miller was going to beat him to death, so he might as well tough it out. After all, he had been trying to survive for what seemed like an eternity, and now it had just become a daily part of his life. Any beating was nothing compared what else could happen to him.

He found the strength to bring himself to his feet and off the small futon. He winced at the first step he took but quickly shook it off and headed towards the small kitchen, looking for something to eat.

"Anything for breakfast?" Webb asked, looking around the small kitchen for anything eatable.

"Only the usual." Chloe replied as she ate her breakfast. "Your favorite. Oatmeal."

Webb shook his head and sighed. "I wouldn't call it my favorite..."

He reluctantly spooned himself a small bowl of the warm mash and sprinkled brown sugar over it to make it somewhat eatable. After eating the same thing for nearly a year, the taste had become bland and boring, no matter what he did to it. He didn't know how many bowls of stupid oatmeal he had had since he had arrived in Moscow, but he knew it was one to many. He didn't know when this would end, but when it did, he wouldn't be having another bowl of oatmeal, that's for sure.

As he continued to eat, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small hand held device. It was a small blood sugar monitor, made for diabetics. He brought the small sharp metal end to his finger and gave himself a small prick, causing a drop of blood onto the metal strip. He pressed the button and waited for the device to give the results. Webb gave a small sigh as the results were normal and stable.

Diabetes wasn't something he had wish he had, but just like Miller's beatings, he could live and deal with. After years of living with it, the small ritual of testing his blood sugar had just become a daily part of his life, just like eating or brushing your teeth. It was just something he did without thinking about it.

"Taking your drugs again?" Chloe asked as Webb reached for a needle.

"Ya, Diabetics are just druggies for insulin." Webb replied sarcastically as he carefully placed the needle into his skin. He winced at the small pain as the needle penetrated his skin, but sighed as soon as it was over. The small prick from a needle was the one thing he just hadn't gotten used to, at least not yet.

As he continued to eat his oatmeal, he noticed the paper sitting on the kitchen table. He reached over for it and noticed the story on the front page, big bold letters across the page jumping out at him.

_"Murder in Moscow, young girl found dead in alley..."_ Webb read, looking over the paper. "_Police have released no details, but speculate the Patriot as the murderer..."_

"Hey Chloe." Webb called, looking up from the paper. "Did you read about-

He dropped the paper and nearly lost his bowl as he looked up to see Chloe in the process of changing, her jeans already on the floor and in the process of taking off her shirt.

"What the hell!" Webb shouted, quickly covering his eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What?" Chloe asked casually, looking at Webb as if he had gone crazy. "Whats gotten into you?"

"Whats gotten into me? Whats gotten into you?" Webb demanded, still keeping his eyes covered. "You know we have are own rooms for a reason!"

"Well, glad to know your mature, pervert." Chloe snapped, her arms crossed. "Just because a girl changes, you automatically assume-

"I'm not a pervert and I'm not assuming anything!" Webb replied quickly, turning around. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Just tell me when your done..."

"All right, I'm done."

Webb sighed and turned around, but quickly turned once he saw Chloe was still wearing only her bra and underwear.

"Damn it!" Webb yelled, quickly turning around, causing Chloe to laugh.

"Your fun to mess with sometimes." Chloe said, smiling. "Don't take it so hard, it's pretty much like wearing a swimsuit."

"I'm just trying to show some respect." Webb replied, his back still to her. "I thought girls liked that."

"Aw, I'm sorry." Chloe said sweetly. "You want a hug?"

"I'll pass." Webb replied, heading for his room. "I'm going to get changed."

"Good, because you and I have things to do today." Chloe called, causing Webb to stop.

He looked down at the small piece of paper that he had copied from Millers office, promising himself that he would look into it today. He hadn't told Chloe about his and Clay's plans to find the Patriot and for good reason. She was the de facto leader of the group when Miller was gone, the second in command. He trusted her more then Miller, but he didn't want to tell her about their plans. The less people, the better.

"What do you mean, 'things?" Webb asked.

"Just errands Miller needs us to run." Chloe replied. "And I suggest you don't disobey him. I don't want to be your nurse again."

Webb smiled to himself and nodded. "Got it. I'll get ready."

Whatever he had found in Miller's office, whatever he had found, would have to wait. After all, he still was an active member of the USSA, and he wasn't a ig fan of being shot for treason. The lead could wait, he still had a job to do.

"I'll be ready in five." Webb called before proceeding into his room to get ready for the day.

* * *

Makarov stepped down his apartment steps and onto the Moscow street. It was nice that the apartment given to him or 'Vasily' for that matter was a relief. Being in a good neighborhood had its obvious perks, but it reminded him of the old estate sitting in the Georgian border. He had remembered the day when he had walked to the small ambulance and drove to Moscow. He remember the day when he had briefly stayed in Moscow before the attack, before it had all began. Now he was living in the city, still trying and working against everyone. Trying to find his sister.

For now, he couldn't do anything, at least for now. He had already spotted wiretaps and cameras hidden throughout his apartment, so it was no doubt to him that he was being closely watched. Every move he made was being closely monitored, and he would have to keep up the act that he was still Yuri Vasily.

He had Victor and Anatoly working on finding the Patriot, any thing that could led him to finding him. He knew he had 500 days, and he would spend part of them planning against Vorshevsky, the other finding the Patriot. It would take time, but he plenty of it. It would plan carefully, buying his time until the time to strike was perfect. In the end, when it was finally over, he would have his sister, and not only Vorshevsky, but the Patriot as well would be dead. Everything would go according to plan.

"Hey teach!"

Makarov looked over to see a young girl waving at him down the sidewalk, smiling brightly. She quickly hopped down the sidewalk to met him and soon was standing in front of him, smiling happily.

"Glad to see your out and about teach." The girl said, still giving him a warm smile. "I thought you'd be the type to sleep in during the summer."

Makarov didn't know what to say. He had never seen her before in his life, and she talked to him like they had known each other for years. It only took him a second to realize what was going on.

_"Of course..." _Makarov thought, continuing to look at the young girl. _"She thinks I'm a teacher still..."_

"Whats up with you?" The girl said, giving him a confused look. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"Oh of course." Makarov replied, scratching his head. "And you are..."

"Very funny teach." She replied with a half sigh. "And its Audrey."

"Of course."

Audrey smiled and shook her head. "Sometimes Mr. Vasily, I really don't know what goes through your head."

"Sometimes I don't know either." Makarov replied, giving her a causal smile and playing along. "But I'm sure we all have questions. Now, if you'll excuse me-

"Wait!" Audrey called, causing him to stop. "I kinda wanted to talk to you about something."

Makarov raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"About the past few days..." She replied quietly. "About the attacks..."

Makarov studied her carefully and looked around. Would he look suspicious if he refused her? He didn't want to give any sign that something was wrong, and who knows how big of a sign he would give if he refused her. What if this was just a test? What if she really wasn't a student and just some girl working for Carpathia? He couldn't take the risk, no matter how dangerous the situation looked. He wasn't going to give them anything

"Theres a cafe down the street." Makarov said, pointing down the sidewalk. "You don't mind if we talk there, do you?"

Audrey shook her head. "No. Thank you."

The two began down the street towards the coffee shop, Makarov already thinking about what questions she would ask, and how he should respond.

* * *

Webb looked around the street, continuing to watch the cars and people pass by as he waited to cross the street.

"So, errand number one. What exactly are we doing?" Webb asked, turning to Chloe.

"Just collecting payments." Chloe replied as she walked across the street.

"Who this time?" Webb asked, following her across the street. "The mob?"

"Just some street hood." Chloe answered. "Nothing that serious."

Webb nodded in reply and continued to follow her, already knowing what they were doing. The USSA operated within the city, and did business with everyone they could. Gangs, drug dealers, black market operators, anyone willing to break the law to make some cash. They didn't care if they were American or not, just as long as they got paid, they would keep their mouth shut and mind their own business.

They provided weapons for the gangs, and in turn, the gangs provided them with money and other goods. It was a touchy relationship at best, but one that was strictly business. So long as they got what they wanted, and the gangs got what they wanted, everything would be fine.

Webb followed Chloe down the street until they reached a small alley. They followed the narrow passage towards an open lot, the spot where they were told to meet.

"Hopefully this goes as smooth as it should." Chloe said as they walked. "Greed is a stupid excuse for getting killed."

"You think they won't pay up?" Webb asked.

"They will." Chloe replied. "One way or another. Hopefully the easy way."

Webb reached into his pocket and felt the grip of his M9 resting in its place. _"Hopefully..."_

The two reached a man sitting on a car hood playing with a small pocket knife, flipping the blade out and back in. He glanced up at Webb and Chloe as they reached him.

"Dan Kordr?" Chloe asked, looking at the man playing with the pocket knife.

"Ya?" Kordr asked, looking up at Webb and Chloe, studying them carefully.

"Time to pay your debts." Chloe said. "You know why were here."

Kordr scoffed and glared up at them. "I don't owe you shit."

"The hell you do." Chloe spat, sending him a cold glare. "Your a week late too. Don't make this more then it has to be."

"Fucking American, you think you own this town?" Kordr said, standing up and approaching Webb and Chloe. "You think just because your in some 'elite' organization, it makes you better then me?"

"This is just business. "Webb said, placing his hand on his gun. "Were not looking for trouble."

"What, you this bitch's retriever?" Kordr sneered, smirking at Webb. "Why don't you just fuck off."

"Last chance." Chloe said calmly, waiting patiently. Kordr just smirked and laughed at her.

"Hell you going to do?" Kordr said, smiling at them. "I like to see-

He was cut off quickly as Chloe whipped him across the face with the end of her pistol, causing Kordr to stumble and fall hard to the ground, clutching his face as red blood began to stain his hand and shirt.

"Fuck! Broke my goddamn fucking nose Bitch!" Kordr yelled, continuing to writhe in pain on the ground.

"Next, theres going to be a hole in your face." Chloe said coldly, her pistol pointed at Kordr. "Now pay up before you make this worse."

Kordr reached into his pocket and threw a band of ruble bills at Webb's feet. He reached down and picked them up, looking through each of them to make sure every bit was there.

"See, that wasn't so hard." Chloe said sweetly, putting her pistol away.

"Fucking bitch..." Kordr spat, continuing to clutch his face. "Stupid fucking bitch..."

"Come on Matt, lets go." Chloe said, motioning for him to follow. Webb quickly stuffed the roll of bills into his pocket and follow her towards the alley and back to the street.

"Well, that was interesting." Webb said, looking back behind his shoulder. "I never figured you for a brutal loan collector."

"Neither do I." Chloe replied. "But sometimes a little force never hurts."

"You sound like Miller."

"Theres a difference between that man and me. I know when to restrain my self. Miller just likes to do it because its fun for him."

Webb sighed. "Ya, I would know." He said, rubbing his bruises.

"Well, that's errand number one." Chloe said, pulling out a small paper list. "Lets see whats next."

Webb rolled his eyes. "I can hardly wait..."

* * *

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	19. Hidden Deception

Makarov continued to stir his coffee, his hand on his chin, glancing outside the cafe window, watching people continue to walk by on the sidewalk. The aroma of the coffee would usually be enough to wake him up, but he had already been more then alert since he had gotten up. Everyday now was a tightrope act, carefully going through life without the slightest slip up or mistake. it was all an attempt to just buy time, and now this was just another test. Talking with a student in a coffee shop. Nothing more then that.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Makarov asked, looking up at Audrey. "You sounded worried."

Audrey cupped her coffee and sighed. "Its just been these past few days. It just seems like things have been going downhill."

"Why do you say that?"

"Why do I say that? Why wouldn't I say that!" Audrey exclaimed, giving Makarov a confused look. "Having you been watching the news lately?"

Makarov's eyes narrowed. "Your talking about the attack at GUM supermarket, right?"

"Yes, but not just that." Audrey said, lowering her voice. "I'm also talking about the broadcast Makarov gave."

Makarov crossed his arms and looked at her expectantly. "What about it?"

"Well aren't you one bit concerned?" Audrey asked. "I mean, you of all people should know how dangerous a man like him is. I don't need to tell you the effect someone like that has on society. If Makarov-

"The man is a fake, Vladimir Makarov is dead." Makarov said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Whoever this guy is, he's just trying to revive the already dead 'Shadow of Zakhaev'."

"That's what I thought to, but..."

Makarov noticed her pause and raised his eyebrow in question. "But what?" He asked, waiting for her to continue.

"I've just been thinking about a possible connection, I mean between the attack and the broadcast. It just seems too coincidental."

Makarov leaned closer. "What are you saying Audrey?"

Audrey looked away. "I think that the attack might have caused this 'new Makarov' to make that broadcast. I think there is a connection, I just know there is."

Makarov sat frozen in his chair, staring at her in silent horror. Despite the odds, this girl had figured out the truth. There was a real connection between the two, and a real dangerous one if anyone found out. If the police or Carpathia found this connection and looked into it, it wouldn't take them long before they realized that he is Makarov. If they figure out the time that he disappeared and link it to him, that would be all the proof they would need.

"I've been thinking, and I've decided to report this to the police." Audrey said quietly. "I know it might not help them very much, but I think that every small thing can help. Thats what you taught us, right?"

Makarov stared at her, thinking furiously._ "I can't let her report that...There would be no escape...If she gives that tip..."_

"Why don't I give them the tip?" Makarov suggested. "It would be no trouble, I have nothing better to do."

"Don't you understand, I want to do this." Audrey protested. " 'I' want to help the police, even if it's only a little."

"I'm just saying they might not take a student seriously..."

"Teach, what are you saying?" Audrey asked, looking at Makarov in shock. "I'm one of your top students in the class! I would think you'd should me some respect by now."

Makarov clenched his fists under the table._"Dammit, this isn't working..."_

"Sorry." Makarov apologized, sighing in defeat. "My mistake, I didn't me to-

"Don't worry about it teach." Audrey replied, smiling. "Your so strung up sometimes."

'Strung up' was an understatement. He was in a very tight situation, one that was causing him more stress by the minute. He had to prevent her from talking to the police at all costs, but what could he do? For all he knew, he could be under close watch. He couldn't risk doing anything foolish, but he had to stop her at all costs.

"Here, let me get you a refill." Makarov said, grabbing his cup and hers as well.

"Sure. Thanks teach." Audrey replied, as she looked at a magazine

"No problem." Makarov responded, giving her a polite smile.

As he walked away from the table, an idea began to form in his head, one that would work and not link him to anything. He couldn't let this girl give this tip to the police, if he did, it wouldn't take them long to figure out what happened to him that day. They could figure out where he had been taken, find Victor and Anatoly, and eventually expose him for who he really was. He couldn't let her talk to the police, no matter what.

As he reached the coffee station, he reached into his pocket and pull out a small capsule, no bigger then his fingernail. Inside the capsule with a simple white powder, one that held a bigger and darker meaning, one that was deadly as well.

Cyanide poison. Just a small amount would be enough. It would be colorless and tasteless, and most importantly, untraceable. Just this capsule would be enough, and all he had to do was open it and pour just a dash in.

This was the only option left, he had to get rid of her once and for all. He would be taking a huge risk, but he was as good as dead if she gave this information to the police, and he wasn't going to let the happen. He had no choice but to silence and eliminate her.

He looked around before opening the capsule and quickly pouring in the poison into Audrey's cup. It looked like he was added sugar at first glance, so it didn't look one bit suspicious at all. It would be perfect, just another unfortunate accident in a sea of mishaps. Nothing was going to go wrong, and the police would still be clueless.

He refilled the two cups and stirred them both thoroughly. He made sure of what drink he had poisoned and carefully cared the two back to the table.

"Here." Makarov said, handing Audrey's poisoned drink. "I got your favorite."

Audrey smiled and took her coffee. "Thanks."

Makarov sat down and took his seat across from her again, waiting calmly and patiently.

"I'm sure the police can find some use from this tip." Audrey said, continuing their conversation. "

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Makarov asked, taking a sip of coffee.

She shook her head. "No, your the only person i've told."

_"Good, just as I suspected..." _Makarov thought, continuing to listen to her. _"Theres no possibility of this getting out...Now I just need one more thing..."_

"Well, in that case, I think you should start right away." Makarov said with a small smile. "I mean, you never know how much help this could give to the investigation."

"Really?" Audrey said in an excited tone. "You really think so?"

Makarov nodded. "I know so."

She blushed and smiled to herself. "Thank you."

Makarov watched as she reached for her coffee and raised it to her lips. He watched as she tipped the drink back and took a sip of her drink. Makarov's eyes darkedn as he watched her continued to drink the poisoned drink.

_"Its all over for you..."_ Makarov thought to himself as he watched her drink. _"Shame..."_

He glanced down at his watch. _"15 minutes...Thats all you have left..."_

"Well thank you for the compliment." Audrey said. "It makes me feel a lot more confident now about doing this."

Makarov just smiled. "Happy to help."

* * *

Sedusky looked over the many files and papers that lay on his desk, all about the current investigation and every thing the police knew about the Patriot and USSA. Just this case was giving him an enormous amount of paperwork, and now with the recent Makarov crisis, it would only double his amount of everyone's work.

Sedusky rubbed his forehead and sighed. He closed his eyes in an attempt to find some peace, someway to create the illusion that the work load had vanished. It was a futile attempt when his desk phone went off, causing his eyes to open and send him back into the real world.

Sedusky sighed and reluctantly answered the phone. "Moscow Investigation Bureau, Inspec-

"Inspector Sedusky, are you there?" A familiar voice asked, cutting him off. "This is Ellien Lelend."

Sedusky instantly straightened up. "Um, yes. Hi, how-

"Im fine, thank you." She replied, having no problem cutting him off.

"So, why are you calling?" Sedusky asked. "New development in the case?"

"Thankfully yes." Ellien replied. "I've had sometime to look over the information and come to some conclusions."

"About what?" Sedusky asked, anxious to hear any new information. "Anything on the Patriot?"

"No, it has more to do with Makarov and Vasily." Ellien replied, causing Sedusky to sigh.

"Your still trying to pursue that?" Sedusky asked, a little disappointed. "I mean, I think we should try and pursue other-

"I always look at every possible outcome, every possibility, every angle." Ellien replied sharply. "Besides, I've found some new evidence that supports my theory."

Sedusky raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"I've been looking carefully at the dates of important events in the past week, and I've found some connections."

"Connections?" Sedusky repeated. "Like what?"

"The USSA attack at GUM supermarket and Makarov's broadcast." Ellien answered. "There is a hidden connection that could reveal all the information we need about Makarov."

Sedusky's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean? What connection?"

"There was only three days between the attack and the broadcast." Ellien explained. "Don't you find that a little suspicious?"

"Yes, now that I think about it, I do." Sedusky replied, thinking about Ellien's theory. "But what does this prove?"

"If we can figure out where Yuri Vasily was on that day, we can confirm if he is Makarov or not."

"But doesn't Carpathia have people watching him?" Sedusky hissed, keeping his voice down so others couldn't hear him. "I thought he would be keeping a close eye on him at all times?"

"Carpathia hasn't been tailing him at all." Ellien replied casually. "The only thing his done in reality is place cameras and wiretaps in his apartment."

Sedusky gripped his phone in frustration. _"How reckless can you get!..."_

"And the fact that the only camera that was working during the attack was the one in the elevator doesn't give us any help as well." Ellien continued. "This is getting complicated..._"_

"So if there's no evidence of him being there, then how can you figure out where he was?" Sedusky asked.

"The only chance now is a witness confirming that Yuri Vasily was in fact at GUM supermarket that day." Ellien explained. "And the percentage that there is any witnesses is a slim one..."

"But if theres still a chance, then-

"Your correct, we cannot eliminate the possibilities until we are absoultely sure." Ellien said. "We cannot do anything to help this. The only thing we can do is continue to accept tips from people. The police should always have someone taking them."

"I understand." Sedusky replied, still a little disappointing. "Is that all?"

"Actually no, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about. And it concerns a certain FBI agent."

Sedusky instantly thought to Stephan. "Agent Obreiski? What about him?"

"I think he could prove useful in this investigation. I would like to meet with him, and as you as well again."

Sedusky was taken back by her suggestion. The two hadn't even met is she was already suggesting to work with him, an American no doubt. He had nothing against American;s, but the fact that they were trying to find one made him just a little suspicious.

"I think we should meet again, later tonight." Ellien said. "I can arrange the meeting, if its alright with you?"

"Sure, its no problem."

"Then I will call you and explain the details later, on a secure line." Ellien said. "Until then, continue to look into this recent murder the Patriot is suspected in causing. It might reveal something."

Sedusky sighed. "I understand."

The phone clicked and Sedusky was left once again to deal with the unbearable amount of work on his desk, the amount only increasing day after day.

Sedusky rubbed his forehead again and sighed. _"So...Much...Work..."

* * *

_"Well thank you Mr. Vasily, I feel much better now." Audrey said as the two stood outside the small cafe. "I can't wait to help the police."

"Hopefully it does help." Makarov replied, smiling. "Glad to help and thanks for the conversation."

Audrey blushed and waved. "See ya around teach."

Makarov nodded and watched as she turned away and down the sidewalk. A small smirk grew across Makarov's face as she watched her walk away, still unaware.

_"I win..." _Makarov thought to himself, watching her walk away. _"Just minutes now..."_

Makarov took a step and fell in behind her, watching her walk down the sidewalk, following feet behind her.

_"I do have to admit, it was a close call, but thats all it will be...She'll be dead and the police will still be clueless...Just as planned..."_

Makarov looked at his watch, waiting for the time when the poison would take effect. It had a delay of fifteen minutes, but it always had it's same fatal outcome, right on the dot. Every single time.

"Go on." Makarov whispered to himself. "Just continue to walk..."

Makarov looked down at his watch again. _"Five seconds..."_

He glanced up at Audrey, still walking a few feet ahead of him. He watched as he counted off the final seconds in his head.

_"Another problem erased..."_ Makarov thought as the final second finally approached. _"Now go on and die..."_

The final second finally approached, and he looked up, waiting to see Audrey collapse on the ground, and the crowd of people that was sure to follow.

But Makarov was shock to find exactly the opposite, an outcome he hadn't expected at all.

Audrey continued to walk, unharmed and unaffected by the poison.

* * *

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	20. Silence

Makarov stood in utter confusion and shock as he continued to watch the young girl continue to walk down the sidewalk at her usual pace, not showing any signs of weakness or any signs of falling to the poison. It was like she hadn't been poisoned at all.

He didn't have any explanations, no idea why it hadn't worked. He had watched her drink it right in front of him, he had made sure she drank it. There was no way that she could be alive, she should be dead by now.

Audrey glanced behind her and noticed him still following. "My. Vasily, are you stalking me?" She asked in a teasing tone.

Makarov narrowed his eyes. _"How could she be unaffected?...The poison should have killed her by now?..."_

"Hey, teach!" Audrey called, breaking Makarov out of his thoughts. "Hey, you alive?"

"Um, y-ya..." Makarov stuttered, trying to get a hold of the situation. "I was just thinking..."

Audrey smiled. "Teach, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm heading down to the police station right away."

Makarov gave a polite nod. "Yes, of course."

Audrey gave him a wink before turning back and continuing on her route down the sidewalk, her destination, the police station. Makarov's worst nightmare.

He matched her pace, following a few feet behind, trying to figure things out and run through the possibilities of how she survived.

_"Immunity?...No, there's no way...why would she...there has to be something else..."_

Makarov shook his head, tensing up. _"This is a waste of time...Right now, I need to be figuring out how to get rid of her rather then figuring out how she survived..."_

He began to look through his options, thinking of each option available to him, and running each scenario through his head.

_"I could try using force..." _Makarov thought, feeling his M9 hidden in his pocket. _"Take her out right here..."_

He shook his head, looking at the dozens of people walking around them._ "No, no it would be too public...there's to many witnesses...I can kill her here...At least not out in the open..."_

Makarov's eyes darkened, narrowing at the back of Audrey. _"I need to stall her...Just long enough to come up with a new plan... I have to stop her...Just calm down and think it through..."_

"Hey, Audrey!" Makarov called, rushing to catch up with her.

Audrey turned around, looking surprised that he was still following him.

"Teach, I thought you had things to do?" Audrey asked, giving him a weird look. "I thought I told you that-

"I know, but something has just been bugging me, something that I have to tell you." Makarov said, trying to slow her down.

Audrey raised her eyebrow."Really? Like what teach?"

Makarov eyes narrowed. _"That's right, just stall her...get the conversation going just long enough...stall her as long as possible...I can do this..."_

"It just occurred to me that the police might be focusing on other things, like the Patriot rather then finding Makarov." Makarov explained. "The police might not take your tip seriously, and possibility not look into it."

"What, you don't think catching Makarov isn't important?"

"Not at all." Makarov replied swiftly. "I'm simply stating that your tip might not get taken seriously because the investigation is currently swamped at the moment, and theirw resources are placed elsewhere."

Makarov sighed. "It's just a simple fact that the police simply won't look into it because they see the Patriot as more of a threat. They'll only take help from reliable sources, they do this because they want to cut down on the list of faulty leads and tips. The only way they would even consider it is if your a member of the investigation."

Makarov crossed his arms. "Im sorry I didn't tell you this earlier, but its the truth. It will be literally impossible to get your information processed. It's just how the police are operating."

Makarov looked at Audrey, who was staring blankly off into space, thinking about what he had just said. He waited for her response, hoping it would be enough to discouraged her, enough to stall her so he could eliminate her once and for all.

"Thanks for explaining teach, but I still am going to try." Audrey said, causing a surprised look from Makarov. "See you around teach."

She started to walk off again, causing Makarov to quickly rush up to catch up to her again.

"Wait, please Audrey, you just be wasting your time!" Makarov called, quickly catching up to her. "The police are just swamped at the moment, they aren't going to take any anonymous tips seriously!"

"I understand that, its just..."

Makarov studied her carefully. "Just what?"

"I think they'll take me seriously." Audrey said quietly. "I know its stupid, but I just have this strange feeling that someone will take me seriously."

Makarov closed his eyes, trying desperately to think of a way to figure out how to get her to trust him. If he couldn't talk her out of it, then he only had one option. It had a huge risk, but it was the only way he could see of coming out of this. And if his thoughts about Audrey were true, it would work.

"Audrey, let me tell you something that you need to promise not to tell anyone, do you understand?" Makarov said in a low voice. "You need to promise me that you cannot tell anyone."

Audrey's look instantly changed to serious and attentive. "What is it? What's so important?" She asked in a low voice.

Makarov took a deep breath and sighed, trying to make himself appear as serious as he possibly could.

"I'm actually working in the investigation."

Audrey's eyes widened in surprise. "What! Are you serious!"

"Due to the recent shortage in police, many have been looking for qualified investigators in order to help with the current amount of overwhelming work." Makarov explained, continuing to twist his story. "I was asked by the police if I wanted to help, and I agreed, so long as I kept it a secret."

"So your working with the police?" Audrey asked, still in shock.

"I can go to the investigation bureau when ever I want and have full access to all the case materials." Makarov continued. "The police pay me and I help out as much as I can."

"So what your saying is-

"I can get your tip approved and looked at officially." Makarov calmly explained. "I can guarantee that it will be taken seriously and looked at carefully, I promise you."

"Listen, I want you to give this to the police, but I want to be there." Makarov said, a small smile on his face. "This is the only way for sure that it will be looked at."

"So what are we waiting for?" Audrey said in an excited tone. "Lets go!"

Makarov smirked, his eyes darkening. _"This is it!...I just need her to follow me, and I'll be safe..."_

"Look, the nearest station is a couple blocks away from here." Makarov said, looking at the street signs. "I want to get there as soon as possible."

"We could always run." Audrey suggested.

"Or take a shortcut."

Audrey gave Makarov a confused look. "Shortcut?"

Makarov pointed to a nearby alley behind them. "This will save us walking around the block."

Audrey smiled. "Good thinking teach. As always."

Makarov stood silently as Audrey walked past him and into the alley. He quietly reached into his pocket and felt the grip of his M9 resting in his pocket.

_"This time..." _Makarov thought to himself as he twisted the silencer on. _"This time I'll silence you for good..."_

Makarov watched as she walked down the dark, quietly alley,. Makarov silently fell in behind her, his eyes closed.

_"I win..."_

* * *

Webb yawned and continued to rub his sore side, still partially recovering from his recent bruising. He reached into his pocket and popped another pain killer into his mouth, offering him temporary relief from the pain that throbbed at his side like a sharp thorn.

"You know, your going to be addicted to insulin and pain killers if you keep this up." Chloe said as the two walked down the street. "You know that there's a limit, right?"

"The insulin is for my diabetes, and the painkiller isn't going to do me any harm." Webb counted as he swallowed another pill. "Besides, I'm in pain, therefor, I can take painkillers."

"Nice analogy. Did 'bucket' teach you that one?"

Webb smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm not one to take advice from Clay."

The two rounded a street corner and look ahead to see a small cafe sitting a couple blocks away. It was small, but offered just what someone wanted. Coffee and other pastries, and that was good enough for him.

"Feeling up for a little treat?" Chloe said, pointing towards the cafe.

"What, you think we need a little reward for all the collecting we've done?" Webb asked. "i mean, beating up a street hood and going around demanding loan payments isn't something that is very low energy."

Chloe smiled. "I think we deserve it, don't you?"

Webb nodded. "You read my mind."

The two started down the street, heading down the sidewalk towards the small cafe. Webb was already thinking about what he would get, all the choices, and hundreds of possibilities. He was just getting hungry thinking about it.

* * *

Makarov turned the corner of the alley, only finding a small metal door as the only way forward. Audrey went up and tugged on the metal handle, trying to open the door, but it was to avail, it was locked.

"Dead end." Audrey said, looking around. "Looks like we'll have to go back."

Makarov said nothing, his hand was his pocket, his finger wrapped around the trigger. No one was around. No witnesses, no one to stop him, no one. It was finally over.

"Teach, I thought you said this was a shortcut?" Audrey asked, placing her arms on her hips. "Do you even know where your going?"

Makarov continued to say nothing, his head pointed towards the ground, staring silently. Audrey narrowed her eyes at him.

"Hey, teach, I forgot to ask, how come you wanted to work with the police?" Audrey asked, giving Makarov a weird look. "I thought you wanted to enjoy your summer vacation?"

"Oh..." Makarov started, looking away. "I don't really know, but I think its because..."

Makarov glanced up at her, a devilish smirk across his face.

"Because I'm actually Vladimir Makarov..."

Audrey stood frozen in fear, looking at Makarov in complete horror. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came. There was only silence. The only thing that could be heard was the small sound of a silenced round being fired, and the empty shell falling to the ground.

Audrey fell to the ground, clutching her throat, red crimson beginning to pour down her hands in calmly put his M9 back in his pocket and reached down to pick up the empty bullet casing. No trace, no evidence.

As he stood back up, his noticed Audrey still looking up at him, still gagging but unable to speak. All she could do was watch as he watched her die.

"Are you alright Audrey?" Makarov asked in a teasing tone. "You think I should call the police?"

She placed one of her hands out, trying in vain to grab him. Makarov only smiled and pulled out his cell phone.

"I can call for an ambulance." Makarov said, holding the phone out to the young girl."Just say the word and I will."

She couldn't say anything, only tremble and bleed out as she slowly continued to die. A small pool of blood was beginning to form around her, her face was slowly turning pale.

"No?" Makarov asked, closing the cell phone. "That's a shame..."

He gave her was last look before turning around. "Goodbye. Audrey."

Makarov placed his cell phone back into his pocket and began to walk out of the alley, leaving her to slowly but eventually die. No tip given to the police, no trace of him having killed her. Nothing to implement him. Just one more problem erased.

* * *

Webb watched the many cars and people travel past him as he continued to walk down the sidewalk. It was refreshing that they had gotten done with all the work that Miller needed to have done, and apart from the little trouble the street hood had caused, it had gone fairly smoothly. Now they could just relax and seize the day.

"What are you going to get?" Webb asked, already trying to decide.

Chloe shrugged. "I don't know, I guess something nice. Maybe something with caramel..."

Webb smiled. "I'm probably-

He was cut of when he accidentally walked into t man coming out of a nearby alley. He bumped into him, causing both him and the man to stumbled before regaining their balance.

"Sorry." Webb apologized, looking over at the man. "My mistake, I didn't see you."

The man just waved him off and continued on his way. "Don't worry about it." He said before walking away down the sidewalk.

Webb looked back and studied him carefully. The man looked familiar to him, but he couldn't remember why. he was sure he had seen him before.

_"Where have I seen you before..."_Webb thought as he watched the man walk away. He could have sworn seeing that face somewhere.

"Matt!" Chloe called, motioning him to follow. "You coming or not?"

Webb just shook it off. "Ya, I'm coming."

* * *

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	21. Clocks and Libraries

The sun reached its apex high in the sky as Webb stepped outside the small cafe and back onto the Moscow street, already wanting to go back to the safehouse and relax. While the warm drink was supposed to wake him up, it instead did the opposite, and put him into almost comatose state of relaxation. His eyelids were beginning to get heavier by the second, and all he wanted to do was just get back to the safehouse and rest. Just fall asleep.

But it wasn't that simple, or easy.

"One last thing." Chloe declared, causing Webb to sigh. "Just need to pick up a package and were done."

"What, Miller's dry cleaning?" Webb asked sarcastically, already getting sick of being an errand boy.

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Very funny. Fortunately not.

"So what then?" Webb asked, the two walking down street. "What is this important 'package' that we have to pick up?"

Chloe shrugged. "Don't know, wasn't told." she replied simply.

Webb gave her a weird look. "So that's okay with you?"

"If it was important for me to know, I would have been told." Chloe replied without missing a beat. "I don't put my nose in business that isn't mine, and neither should you."

Webb smirked, already thinking back to breaking into Miller's room back at the safehouse. _"I should know, shouldn't I..."_

"Anyway, look at it this way." Chloe said. "Once we get this errand done, then we'll be done and you can take your beauty nap."

Webb rolled his eyes and looked away, annoyed. "Lets just get this done. The sooner, the better."

"Well, lucky for you then, it's just a few blocks up the street." Chloe said, causing somewhat a relief from Webb.

"Lucky for us." Webb replied as the two continued to walk down the side walk, beginning to cross the street and heading to the next block. The sooner he could finish Miller's 'chores' and 'errands', the better it would be for him. He still hadn't forgotten about he address he had took from Miller, and was eager to look into it.

* * *

Makarov opened the door to a near by library and walked through the entrance. The swift breeze of the cool air rushing past him put him from a tense and alert state to a relaxed and passive one. This was a haven for him. Cool. Quiet. No cameras or anyone watching. Just the place he needed to be. The perfect place for someone like him to meet, and it was in the simplest of places. A Library in the heart of Moscow.

He gave a polite nod at the receptionist at the desk and calmly walked along the many aisles stacked full of books and other sources of knowledge. In an age of technology and computers, many of these masterpieces and works of literature had been replaced and overlooked, forgotten and ignored. Many people never went to the library for entertainment. They would go to a movie or watch a sporting event. Libraries have slowly become ghost towns in themselves, were there were only a few people scatted about, either doing work or reading a newspaper.

It was a place that had no cameras, no one watching. It wouldn't look suspicious or out of place in his 'daily schedule'. It was perfect for what he needed to do.

He kept on his route until his finally reached the aisle he was looking for. 135.3. Adult Fiction. Author names Laiette to Lynn. Just as he had specified.

Makarov turned down the aisle and walked along down the narrow corridor formed by the stack of books on either side. Just the number of books combined with the distance away from the main area made the area feel darkened, the light from the ceiling not being able to reach as far back as it could. A nice quiet spot tucked in a library, out of anyone's sight and earshot.

He finally stopped until he reached a young girl sitting on the ground, reading a book to herself, looking very interested in the title. Makarov stood behind her, his back turned to hers, both not making eye contact with each other. He grabbed a random book off the shelf and opened it, making him appear to be reading as well.

"So, you made it." The girl said, still looking at her book. "What took you?"

"An unexpected problem, but one that was resolved." Makarov replied, turning a page. "Its nothing to be concerned about Elena."

He heard a familiar sigh behind him. "And your reasonably sure?"

Makarov's eyes narrowed. "I'm absolutely sure."

There was a small pause before a simple response.

"Good. But that's obviously not the reason why you told me to come here?"

"Of course not, we need to talk." Makarov replied. "It's about this Patriot."

"And what about it?" Elena replied. "What is there to talk about?"

"I need an update. How much progress have Anatoly and Victor made?"

She shrugged. "Not much progress at all. They've been trying a few odd sources here and there, but nothing concrete."

"Thats not good enough." Makarov replied, frustrated in hearing what he had expected. "They need to work harder. He's here, I know it."

"And how do you know that?"

Makarov opened his mouth but stopped, tensing up. He hadn't told Elena or anyone else about the Patriot's call he had received at the phone booth. He hadn't told them about the ultimatum given to him, about having 500 days to kill President Vorshevsky to save his sister. He hadn't seen the Patriot, but he knew he was in Moscow. And if that was the case, then so was his sister.

"The game has changed." Makarov replied simply. "I have 500 days to kill Vorshevky."

"Or else the Patriot will kill your sister?"

Makarov closed his eyes. "Yes."

"You know, there's just something about books that I find fascinating, just something about them..."

Makarov's eyes opened in surprise. "What? What are you saying now?"

"I mean, rubix's cubes are fun and all, but even they can get old after awhile..." Elena continued, still not answering Makarov. "Theres stories and stories, all different and unique, all with a beginning and an end."

"Make sense, what are you going on about?" Makarov demanded, glaring over his shoulder. "What do books and stories have to do with any of this."

"In every book I read, the hero always saves the girl and defeats the bad guy." Elena replied, still not giving Makarov any explanation. "There are obviously differences in each book I read, but they all end happily ever after..."

Elena closed her book, slamming it shut. "What do you think your ending is going to be?"

"I'll save my sister." Makarov replied instantly. "and I'll kill Vorshevsky and the Patriot."

"And you truly think that's what is going to happen. Your going to kill the bad guy and save the girl?"

"Sure. If you want to use that analogy, fine."

Elena sighed. "Even happy endings can get boring..."

She stood up and placed the book back in the shelf. "Do what you have to do. We'll be there to support you when you need it. Remember, were working with you, not against you."

"Of course. But I need results." Makarov replied, putting his book back on the shelf. "Time does run out eventually."

"Results will come when they come, and we'll continue to monitor the police closely." Elena replied. "Anything they find before us, we'll know about it."

"Also, theres something else that you might want to be aware of...

Makarov raised an eyebrow. "That being?"

"This is just a rumor, but while monitoring the police, I noticed a familiar individual I haven't seen in quite a long time..."

An annoyed look came across Makarov's face. "And how does this concern me?"

"The individual I'm referring to in currently investigating the Patriot, as well as you." Elena explained sharply. "And she's very effective at finding people."

"Another Investigator?" Makarov asked, amused with Elena's level of alarm. "They can be easily tricked and fooled. Who ever she is, she won't be a problem."

"I wouldn't be so confident." Elena said carefully. "After all, I actually knew this person. I'm not over exaggerating anything when I say she's good."

"No matter how 'good' she is Elena, it won't make a difference." Makarov countered. "So long as she working with the police, she will just another person that can easily be fooled."

"She isn't working with the police. She's investigating independently."

Makarov smiled. "Then she's even less of a problem."

"Actually the opposite."

"What?" Makarov asked, looking over his shoulder.

"She has her own way of doing things, her own way of solving problems no one else can. She can figure out what to do and how to do it. And in the time I knew her, she could always figure anything out."

Makarov raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you know this individual?"

Elena gave a small smile. "That is another story. For another time."

Makarov sighed, giving up and already losing interest. "Fine. I'll contact you the next time we need to meet."

"Fine." Elena said, beginning to walk down the aisle. "Just make sure you careful. It's a problem to me if you get yourself arrested."

Makarov gave a half nod. "Sure, of course."

He watched her walk down the narrow corridor of books before she stopped suddenly, causing Makarov to look up in question.

"What is it?" Makarov asked, staring at her in confusion.

"Ellien Lelend." She replied simply, before turning back and continuing to walk away. "That's her name."

Makarov gave her a weird look. "Ellien Lelend?" He repeated, still not understanding. But Elena gave no reply. She had rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight, leaving him with questions and still confused.

_"Ellien Lelend..."_ Makarov repeated again in his head. Whoever Elena was talking about, it would just be another problem that he would easily solve. Just one of many he needed to work around in order to save Nina.

* * *

Webb looked up at the large oak door that sat in front of the stone brick building, standing guard over the residence. It had what you would expect from a well kept antique clock shop, the gold handle, the glass windows at the top, just what you expect at such an establishment. But what he didn't expect was Miller had sent them to such a place to pick up a package.

"So why are we in front of a clock shop?" Webb asked, annoyed that they were waiting. "What, Miller need his super secret clock picked up?"

Chloe smiled. "No, I'm sure its not that?"

"A very fancy secret clock?" Webb asked again, still not seeing the point of being here.

Chloe just shook her head. "I have no idea what Miller sent us here for, but I do know who to meet."

Webb raised an eyebrow. "And just who might that-

He was interrupted when the door opened and the two we're greeted by a portly old man wearing horned trimmed glasses. He had pale gray hair around the sides of his head, the rest was completely bald. Liver spots and wrinkles all showed gave further evidence of his age, as well as his appearance. Simple brown loafers and pants, with a simple sweater vest and tie on top.

The old man blink and squinted at them, almost trying to focus as if they were standing miles away.

"Miss Williams?" The man asked, looking at Chloe. "Miss Williams, is that you?"

Chloe smiled warmly. "Its good to see you to Mr. Sebastian."

The old man smiled brightly. "Ah, Chloe! It's seems like it's been an eternity!" Sebastian exclaimed. "I never seem to see you anymore."

Chloe gave a smile and put her arms on her hips. "Maybe its because you should get out more."

Sebastian chuckled. "that might be, but my age just doesn't agree you I'm afraid. How is your sister?"

"She's fine." Chloe replied. "Still the same as she always been."

He noticed Webb standing next to Chloe, and leaned in to study him.

"And your friend..." Sebastian said, looking at Webb. "His name is...

"It's Matthew sir." Webb answered for him, presenting his hand. "Matthew Webb."

Sebastian gave a warm smile. "Its a pleasure to meet you Mr Webb."

Webb smiled. "Thank you, but just Matt or Matthew is fine."

Sebastian nodded. "Sure. Of course Matthew."

He opened the door. "Do you want to come in? The store is closed so there's no customers."

"Actually, we're here on business I'm afraid." Chloe replied. "We were told to pick up a package from you."

Sebastian paused, thinking to himself before remembering what Chloe was talking about.

"Ah yes." He replied. "Old Nathaniel's order..."

"Then you have it?"

He nodded. "Yes. Just give me a minute, and I'll be right back with it."

Sebastian turned back into the clock store and vanished out of sighed, leaving Webb and Chloe alone on the door step once again.

"So an old clock maker in the middle of Moscow is the person we have to meet?" Webb asked in confusion, not expecting to be meeting such a person. After meeting street hood after street hood, gang member and street junkie, an old clock maker wasn't someone he had in mind of meeting.

"The last person you'd suspect, right?"

Webb sighed. "You had me. I didn't know you knew him so well. You seem like old friends."

Chloe smiled. "We have for a while, and for good reason. Not only does he help us out, but he's help me out personally. Off the record so to speak."

"With?"

She sighed. "You can't just hop on a place and expect to start a new life just because your in a new country. I still had my family, or what was left of it anyway..."

"Family?" Webb asked. "I thought you said they all died during the invasion."

Chloe closed her eyes and nodded silently. "Yes. But my younger sister survived. Everyone else, well..."

Webb look at her in surprise, remembering the subtle reference in Sebastian's brief conversation. _"Sister..."_

He hadn't been one to prod, especially around Chloe. He knew well that she had lost her family during the invasion, and he wasn't one to push it. He had lost so much to. They all did. Every one in the USSA had.

"Mr Sebastian is also a landlord, and offered to put my sister in one of the apartments he owns for free." Chloe continued to explain. "Thanks to him, I can still be with close to her and still stay here. It's better this way. There's no way I could leave her."

Webb nodded. "I understand..."

"What about you?" Chloe asked, trying to change the subject. "Don't you have any brother's or sisters?"

Webb's eyes saddened. "Yes...Had. But its a long story, one that-

He was interrupted again by the door opening, Sebastian reappeared, this time with a small book sized package under his arms. It was wrapped in brown paper and held by a small piece of twine, tied neatly in a knot on the top.

"Here you are, just as requested." Sebastian said, handing the package to Chloe. "I hope Nathaniel is happy with it."

Chloe sighed. "I sure hope so too..."

She stuffed the package into her bag and smiled up at the old man. "See you next time Mr. Sebastian."

The old man smiled and turned back to the door. "Goodbye Miss Williams, Mr. Webb." He waved before proceeding back inside the shop. "Tell your sister hello the next time you see her!"

Chloe nodded. "Will do."

The oak door swung close and Webb walked down the concrete steps back to the street, his eye looking at the package in Chloe's bag. Miller's order, whatever it was, could reveal information on the Patriot. If such information could be traced back...

"Are we done?" Webb asked, wanting to get back to the safehouse.

Chloe sighed and nodded.

"We're done. Lets go."

* * *

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Author's note: Responding to a review written by 'Jacob": I hae drawn some original characters in this story already. Just go to my profile page and click the link to my deviantart page if your interested.


	22. Casual Meetings

Webb opened the door and stepped into the familiar dingy living room that was his home away from home. Nothing had changed since they had left it. Same couch. Same chairs. Same lights. Same old everything. Just as Webb had remembered it, and how it seemed to stay.

Miller had returned before they had, and it's proof was in Clay sleeping on the couch, snoring and tossing around as Chloe walked into the living room.

"You think with all the time he sleeps, he would be more willing to work..." Chloe said, eying Clay on the couch.

Webb just smiled at her remark. "I thought you would have gotten used to his 'cat naps' by now."

"And here I thought you were tired." Chloe countered, turning back to him. "Weren't you going to take your 'cat' nap once we got back?"

Webb yawned and rubbed his head. "Ya, I guess I feel a little tired..."

Chloe gave a smug nod. "I thought so."

He did feel fatigued, and in his line of work, being tired was not something you wanted to deal with, especially if you wanted to operate effectively and efficiently, you needed to be awake and alert. Napoleon Bonaparte once said that an army moves on it's stomach. It was a wise saying, and had truth to it, but Napoleon was also missing another key piece to winning a battle. Sleep was just as important, and without it, no army could operate effectively, no matter how clever the commander was or what training they had. Morale. Conditioning. Leadership. Just a few of the key pieces needed to win in the game of war, and every great general knew that.

And so did Webb.

The war they were fighting was a war unlike any other. Each day was another test of survival, another test of making it through the day. W either it be attacking a mall or delivering packages, everyday was a battle, and they were the soldiers.

The enemy, President Vorshevsky. The goal, eliminating him and every member of the Ultranationalist party situated in the Kremlin. Using every resource, they would cause chaos and turmoil within Moscow, citing anger towards a government that fails to protect their people. And once the public finally had enough, the Ultranationalist Party would be overthrown, President Vorshevsky removed from power, and Russia left in shambles, all from within Moscow.

A plan that was currently in motion, on that would take over a year to complete. But once the final move was made, the final shot fired, then and only then, could he finally be satisfied, satisfied that Russia knew what happened to him, what happened to his home, what every American faced and experienced.

But that was still a long way to go, more then enough time for what he had to accomplish. Trying to find The Patriot.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with the address on it. He still hadn't looked into it, but he was eager to do so. Whatever was there, he was sure it could be used to find The Patriot.

"What cha got there?" Chloe asked, eying the piece of paper in Webb's hand.

"Nothing." Webb replied swiftly, trying not to show any signs of hiding anything. The last thing he needed was Chloe knowing what he was doing, and he could only fear what Miller would do.

"Is it a love note?" Chloe asked in a teasing tone.

Webb scowled. "No."

"Is it a secret note?" Chloe asked again, not giving up.

Webb rolled his eyes, getting annoyed. "No. It's just a note to remind me of something."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "I thought you had the memory of a 'genius'? What happened to being able to memorize everything?"

She was talking about his 'special' talent, one that had proven very useful to him. They say to memorize something it takes an average person ten times reading one sentence over before being able to recite the sentence word for word. But that wasn't the case for him.

He could read over an entire page, just once and be able to recite it perfectly word for word. He didn't know how he could do it or why he could. He just found it easy, like if he was simply reading the same thing again, just not looking at a book.

Over the years, he had tested just how good he could memorize different things, and the results were comprehension level was off the chart, well above average. He found hecould memorize 3,000 words just reading over something once. If he read something twice, he could remember up to 7,000 words. Three times, 10,000 words. He could commit large amounts of information quickly and efficiently, and remember things that would normally take people hours to memorize. It was a useful talent, but there was always a downside to it.

Despite being able to memorize entire chapters from books, he could only retain it for so long. He had calculated being able to retain things that he memorized on an average of two to three weeks. If he didn't go cover the subject again, he would typically forget after a month, and would have to read over it again.

That's why he only committed the most critical things to memory, and left the non important details out. That was how he'd been able to remember the address and write it down even after not seeing it for a day. That, and several other pieces of information he had stored in his mind during his search through Miller's office. All useful and committed to memory. An excellent talent that he would use to his advantage.

"I guess I didn't want to take the time to memorize it." Webb replied, stuffing the note back into his pocket. "Besides, I don't need it anymore."

"Williams."

Webb and Chloe looked up to see the icy blue eyes of Nathaniel Miller, waiting in the kitchen, looking at the package in Chloe's hand.

"Here's the order sir." Chloe said, presenting the package as professionally and seriously as she could.

Miller quietly took the package. "Any problems?"

"None."

He gave a small nod. "Then good work."

Webb looked at the package, still wondering what Miller's 'order' might be. _"What would he want from an old clock maker? It's obviously not a clock, but if not...What then?"_

"I expect this shall be sufficient for now, but if I need more, he'll be informed." Miller said, tucking the package under his arm. "Until then, monitor his activity and keep him under close watch."

Chloe nodded. "Yes sir."

_"Miller must not trust him..."_ Webb thought, thinking back to meeting Sebastian. _"Then again, Miller doesn't trust too many people..."_

Miller looked from the package and turned his attention to Webb. "As for you, you and I have business to take care of tomorrow."

Webb instantly stiffened. "We do?"

Miller nodded. "Due to recent events, The Patriot is pushing the schedule up, and is making the next attack earlier then expected."

Webb's eyes narrowed._ "Know doubt thanks to Makarov..."_

"We're assembling another canister, and we need a few more components before we're ready." Miller explained. "Tomorrow, you and I are picking up the final piece I'll need."

Webb nodded. "I understand."

"Any questions?"

Webb shook his head. "No."

"Then you better get some sleep." Miller ordered, crossing his arms. "Were leaving early at six. And your not going to want to be sleeping in."

Webb sighed and gave a small nod. "Understood sir."

He was hoping to look into that address, to hopefully uncover the answers he wanted. But looks like work got in the way of that, once again. Looks like he would have to work before he could 'play.' After all, he wasn't in the mood for another beating by his arctic white haired superior. Having a shoe in your face was an effective teaching tool, even if it was brutal.

So again, he would have to wait. He could buy his time. After all, The Patriot wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and neither was this address.

Webb started down the hallway to his room, already remembering how tired his was. With his eyelids starting to get heavier, sleep would come easy tonight.

* * *

Henri Sedusky checked his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time, already getting impatient as the hour continued to grow later. This would be his second meeting with Ellien, and he was already getting sick of the times she choose. At least the location was better, as he was leaning against a wall in once of the most expensive and luxurious hotel's in the city, rather a dark parking garage. It still didn't make sense to him why she had to choose such a late hour.

The elevator at the end of the hall opened, causing Sedusky to look down to see who it was. He was hoping it was Ellien, but he was proved wrong when someone else appeared instead, someone that he was surprised to recognize. It was FBI agent and Profiler Stephan Obreiski.

He looked up in surprise to see him. "Your here too?"

Sedusky nodded as he approached him. "Unfortunately, yes."

"What, did Ellien kick you out or something?" Obreiski asked, giving him a weird look.

Sedusky raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, she said she was in room 369, at least that was she told me." Obreiski explained, looking at the hotel door. "Is she even here?"

Sedusky gripped his fists in anger and mentally hit himself in the head. _"She told me to wait until she arrived, but she was here to whole time!...She must have told Stephan what room because she knew we arrive at different times..."_

Obreiski looked at Sedusky expectantly. "Is something wrong?"

Sedusky rubbed his forehead and sighed. "No, its fine. Lets just go."

He approached Ellien's door and gave five hard knocks, listening for footsteps from the other side. The door opened after a small pause and Sedusky was surprised to see someone he wasn't expecting to see.

An elderly man, wearing a dark suit and black dress pants studied the two of them, seemingly checking over every detail as they stood in the doorway. He had thinning gray hair and small reading glasses siding on top of his nose.

"Excuse me sir..." Sedusky started, looking back at the door to make sure he had the right room. "But do you know an Ellien Lelend?"

The elderly man nodded. "Gentlemen, thank you for coming. Please, come in."

Sedusky followed through the door into the hotel room, followed closely by Stephan. As he walked into the room, he instantly noticed the slender figure of Ellien Lelend sitting at a small chair, looking over countless paper's scattered on top of a glass coffee table sitting in the room.

"Ah Inspector Sedusky, Agent Obreiski." Ellien greeted blandly, not looking up from her papers. "Glad you could make it. Please, have a seat."

Sedusky took a seat at one of the empty chairs surrounding the coffee table and Obreiski did the same.

"Also, let me introduce you to my assistant, Jaufrei." Ellien said, glancing over at the elderly man standing behind Sedusky.

Jaufrei gave a courteous nod. "Gentleman, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"Jaufrei, have you checked over the Inspector and the Agent?"

Jaufrei gave another nod. "Yes madam. The only thing they are carrying are their sidearms, nothing else."

Ellien gave a slight nod."Understood. Inspector Sedusky, Agent Obreiski. Please remove your weapons and put them on the table if you could."

Sedusky narrowed his eyes. "Why should we-

"Its simply a security issue, and one that you will easily comply too." Ellien explained swiftly. "Remember, we're looking for two men that are currently residing in the Moscow area, and until I eliminate potential suspects, I will take the appropriate measures."

"Are you saying we're under suspicion!" Sedusky demanded angrily, raising out of his chair. "What right do you have to accuse us!"

"In case you've forgotten, we're looking for an American, and there is an American in this room right now." Ellien replied calmly, glancing up at Obreiski.

"What, you think Stephan is the Patriot!" Sedusky asked, looking back between Obreiski and Ellien.

"Henri, its fine." Obreiski assured, taking out this firearm and putting it on the table. "Lets not make more trouble then we have to."

Sedusky sighed and lowered himself back into his chair. He reluctantly reached to his side and pulled out his PSM. He pulled out the clip and set it on the table.

"Thank you." Ellien replied. "And just to let you know, Jaufrei is armed and can easily kill any one of you, if necessary of course..."

Sedusky clenched his fists in anger. _"Who the hell does she think she is?...What is this, a meeting or an interrogation?_"

"...Silenced .45, M9 Bayonet, Standard flash bangs..." Ellien said casually, continuing to list off Jaufrei's weapons. "...Poison, M67 grenades, x-26taser...

"Don't forget about the choke cord in my sleeve, madam." Jaufrei added.

"Ah, yes, the choke cord." Ellien said casually. "Well, my point is, Jaufrei can easily subdue any one of you. So if any one of you are assiciated with Makarov or the Patriot ,it would be to your best interest if you didn't try anything. Do we understand each other?"

Sedusky stood frozen in silent fear. _"She isn't a genius at all...She's out of her goddamn mind!"_

"Good, I'm glad that's settled." Ellien said. "Now here's the reason why I called you here."

Ellien reached for one of the vanilla colored files and layed it in the center of the table. She opened it up to a file of a young girl, a young college student Sedusky gathered by her profile photo.

"Her name is Audrey, a student in Yuri Vasily's class." Ellien explained. "And she was found dead earlier today..."

* * *

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	23. Past Hauntings

Gunfire. Explosions. Cries of pain and fear. More gunfire and explosions. Louder, slowly getting louder. It was getting louder, drowning out everything. The screams were getting louder too, and more hellish every second. It was unbearable, painful, unforgettable. The caw of ravens could be heard now, and death itself seemed to be breathing right underneath her neck.

_"Make it stop...Just make it stop...I don't care how, just make it stop..."_

But it didn't stop. Instead, it grew louder, the sounds of war already drowning out everything. She tried to block it out, but nothing worked. Violence and death were the only things she could think about, it never stopped, never let up.

_"Stop...Just please make it stop..."_

Gunfire. Cries. Explosions. They just continued. The ravens were growing louder now, even louder then all the other sounds. It was the only thing she could hear. The caw of ravens. The call of death...

Anya Kosov opened her eyes and gasped, breathing heavily in her bed, staring up at the blank ceiling. She lay silent, listening for any sounds, sounds she wasn't looking to hear. There were no more gunshots. No more explosions. No more screams. No more ravens. Just silence.

She was still shaken, her entire body was in a cold sweat. She was still scared, laying in the dark by herself, but she quickly told herself otherwise.

_"It was just a dream...Just another bad dream..." _Anya thought to herself, sitting up in her single bed. _"It wasn't real...Its all over now..."_

She brought herself up out of bed and draped a gray sweater over her head. She knew she had to get some sleep, but she didn't want to go back to bed. She was too shaken, and the only thing that would help her regain her composure to go back to bed was a small walk around her apartment. Maybe a glass of water or a little light reading, just something to put her mind off of the sounds. Sounds she was trying so hard to forget.

Anya walked into her small kitchen and pour herself a glass of cool water. She quickly downed the liquid, and gave a small sighed, feeling slightly refreshed. A little better now, just a little bit.

She looked out the window of her small apartment. She could see the skyline, the lights and sounds of the city. It was hard to believe that this place was once her home, before her life was upturned. Before Euricov and the Loyalists. Before Rianofski and Kamarov. Before Makarov...

It was a life she couldn't leave, no matter how hard she tried to forget. She was still wanted by the government, and still branded a traitor. Forced to live under a false name and life, she was constantly on the alert for people looking for her. She had no choice, no place to turn. Thats why she stayed with 'him', even after every lie he told.

Vladimir Makarov. A murderer and liar. A man she now worked under. She still held a grudge against him, and never could trust him. But he was her only hope and chance at a normal life, and thats the only thing she wanted now. Everything to go back before the war, before Ultranationalists and Loyalists. Before everything that has happened.

She didn't care how she did it. Makarov had his ways, but they worked, no matter how brutal they were. He wanted his sister found, and she wanted her freedom. Their was no trust or friendship in their relationship. It was strictly business now, one trade off for anther. She could never forgive him, and thats' how it would be until she had what she wanted.

But it still won't erase the things she saw, the friendships she had, and the losses she endured. Those faces would never disappear. Some scars never disappear...

_"Its a beautiful night... _Anya thought as she watched the lights outside, rain beginning to patter against her window._ "Peaceful and quiet...Just like rain..."_

A small sound behind her caused her to wheel around quickly, trying to find the source. She scanned the darkness, actually considering someone else in her apartment, someone sneaking around while she had been sleeping. A quick scan told her otherwise, as nothing could be seen or found.

_"Must of just been the wind..."_ Anya thought as she gave a sigh of relief. It was getting harder and harder to get sleep, as well as forget the past. They say war leaves a devastating mark on a person, and not just physically. Veterans say they always here the gunshots and sounds of battle, and have nightmares of days that was hell to them. Days Anya was trying to forget.

She closed her eyes and sighed. _"Maybe I'll just close my eyes and pretend to fall to sleep..."_

"I don't think that works to well Anya."

Her eyes flashed open and she nearly feel on her back at the sound. She dropped her glass and it feel to the ground with a crash, shards shattering everywhere.

She looked up to see the impossible. There, standing alive and well right in her apartment, was Sargent Kamarov himself, looking as if she had seen him only yesterday.

Anya slowly straightened herself, still not believing her eyes. "K-Kamarov?" She asked, staring up at him in disbelief. "I-Is that you?

Kamarov just gave his warm smile. "Who do you think it is?"

Anya slowly shook her head. "N-No, it can't be you...I-I saw you die...Your dead..."

"You also found me dead as well..." Another voice said beside her, causing her to jump back against the wall in fright.

Another person from her past, his gray hair and grizzled face, worn and tired, but still alive and well. Andrei Rianofski stood in front of her, again just like Kamarov, still looking just like the day he had last seen her.

"I'm glad to see you still alive and well Corporal Kosov." Rianofski said, giving her his casual nod. "How's things?"

Anya looked back between the two men, still not believing her eyes. _"I have to be dreaming...This is just another crazy dream..."_

She gave her arm a small pitch, and she winced in pain, pain that was real. Pain you couldn't feel in a dream...

Anya continued to shake her head, and walked over to the kitchen mirror._ "This is a dream! It has to be a dream! Theres just no way..."_

She looked into the mirror and found herself staring into her own reflection. She put a hand through her soft scarlet burnt hair, staring into her dark burgundy eyes. She was dreaming at all. She was awake, there was no doubt about it. But why was this happening...

She looked into the mirror to see the reflections of Kamarov and Rianofski behind her. "You can be real...Your both dead."

Rianofski crossed his arms, sending a cold stare at Anya. "We can never die Anya...We never did die..."

Anya turned around and sent Rianofski an angry glare. "I saw you, you were dead! Makarov killed you!"

"And you believed him?" Rianofski asked, raising his eyebrow. "I thought you said the man was a lair?"

Anya clenched her fists, her anger and frustration rising. "It doesn't change anything! You both are dead!"

"Anya, please..." Kamarov started, putting up his hands in an attempt to calm her. "Just calm down, we just want to talk, thats-

"No!" Anya yelled. "Your not real! Just leave me alone!"

"Corporal, why didn't you save us?" Rianofski asked, slowly inching towards her. "You could have killed him? Why didn't you kill him? Why didn't you save me? Why couldn't you save us?"

"You could have avenged us Anya." Kamarov added, inching towards her. "Why didn't you?"

Anya covered her ears and closed her eyes. "Just leave me alone..."

"Why didn't you kill him Anya..."

"Leave me alone..."

"Why didn't you-

"I said leave me alone!" Anya yelled, chucking a glass plate at Rianofski and Kamarov. The glass plate past through them and shattered against the wall, shattering into fragments. Anya listened as the glass hit the wood floor and settled on the ground. She waited and listened, but she only heard silence. She slowly opened her eyes and looked to see nothing where Kamarov and Rianofski were. Just the silent kitchen and living room. It was just her imagination, that was all.

"What are you doing down there?" A familiar voice asked.

Anya looked up quickly and jumped again at the voice, started by the silenced suddenly broken once again. Again, she couldn't believe her eyes, as it was another person she hadn't expected to ever see again. Clean copper brown hair and light green eyes, Gary 'Roach' Sanderson stood over her, smiling casually and offering his hand.

"You alright?" Roach asked casually, his hand still extended. "You fall or something?"

Anya looked at his hand and then back up to him. This didn't make since. She had seen him die too. It was just like Kamarov and Rianofski, this was impossible.

"Hey, its alright." Roach said, soflty grabbing her hand. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She slowly grabbed his hand rose herself to her feet, Roach holding her hand. As she finally got back to her feet, she looked ant Sanderson in complete disbelief, just as she had done to Kamarov and Rianofski.

"But..." Anya started, looking at Sanderson in confusion. "You were-

"Killed?" Roach finished, giving her a warm smile. "Sorry, but I'm alive and well. I thought you be happy to-

"No!" Anya shouted, stepping back. "Don't even try it! I saw you die!"

"Hey, calm down." Roach said casually, slowly walking towards her. "It's like you've seen a ghost."

"I wouldn't blame her..." A voice said behind her.

Anya turned around and stepped back in fright at another familiar figure, one just like Roach. Same uniform, but wearing dark sun glasses and a skull shaped balaclava, 'Ghost' stood right behind her, clearly visible, his arms crossed.

"Speak of the devil..." Roach said quietly, eying the masked man. "And here I thought I was alone. All by myself..."

"You do a lot of thinking." Ghost replied sharply. And not a whole lot of doing..."

Roach sighed. "Look, I pull my weight just as much as the others, maybe more-

"What are you two doing here!" Anya demanded, looking back between them. "Your supposed to be dead!"

"Look just because I didn't make the jump doesn't me you have to give me shit about everything..." Roach said sharply to Ghost, ignoring Anya.

"Maybe if you exercised more, you wouldn't of had that problem." Ghost countered back, continuing to argue with Sanderson.

Anya looked in complete confusion, watching the verbal battle unfold in front of her. _"They always argued like this...Same personalities, Same kind of dialogue, its just like how I remember them. It has to be them..."_

Sanderson narrowed his eyes. "Listen, 'Lieutenant Riley', just because your second in command does make you-

"It makes me your superior, meaning your arse is mine." Ghost replied sharply. "So unless you want laps till sundown, I suggest you shut the bloody hell up."

Roach crossed his arms and scowled. "Still doesn't make you king..." He mumbled quietly.

"What are you doing here?" Anya demanded, staring at Roach in utter confusion, still waiting an explanation .

Roach gave her a weird look. "What, just visiting friends."

Anya was taken back his words. "Were..." She started, looking blankly at him. "Were friends?"

Roach gave a grin. "Sure, don't you remember?"

Anya thought back to the last time he had seen Sanderson. It was over a year ago, but she remembered the moment like she had experienced it yesterday.

"By the way, you have an interesting choice of wardrobe..." Roach said quietly, looking down at Anya's legs. "Not really what I expected, but..."

Anya looked down at her legs. the only thing she had on over her since she had gotten out of bed was the sweater she had wore over her bra. Other then that, she was only in her underwear.

"Your a pervert!" Anya yelled, trying to hide her blush and pull the sweater down the same time.

"I'm only joking." Roach replied, walking towards her. "After all..."

He took her by her hand hand and brought her close to him. Really close. Too close then normal. It wasn't casual or friendly, hostile or threatening at all. It was intimate...

"We are friends..." Roach said quietly. "Right?"

She was frozen, staring inches away from his face as he leaned in. She closed her eyes and followed him, leaning in closer to his lips. It seemed time itself stopped as they stood in embrace, her face only inches away from his.

As she leaned in to finally kiss him, she felt him pause, just momentary. She could still feel his breath against her cheek, and she waited for him to kiss her. But instead, he leaned into her ear.

"Why didn't you save us Anya..." Roach whispered, sending a chill down her back. "Why didn't you kill him?..."

Her eyes flashed opened and she broke away from him, stumbling back. She was breathing deeply and felt in a cold sweat as she slowly stepped back, looking around her apartment.

Nothing. There was nothing. Just an empty apartment. No Kamarov. No Rianofski. No Roach or Ghost. Just her.

She closed her eyes and sank to her feet, listening to the rain continuing to fall outside.

It didn't sound peaceful to her anymore. It reminded her of the distance patters of gunfire.

The sounds of war. Hellish sounds. Something that still haunted her.

"Just make it stop..." Anya said quietly, putting her head between her knees. "Just make it stop..."

She could her the faint sound of a raven crying in the distance.

* * *

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	24. Connecting the Dots

Henri Sedusky looked out the hotel window, watching the rain hit against the glass. It always seemed to rain at night, even when the forecast said otherwise. Summertime, and it felt like early fall. It was like summer had already came and gone.

He took another sip of coffee, trying to keep himself awake and alert. Work was hard enough as it was, and now he was putting in overtime.

Voluntary overtime.

With no pay.

But if that's what it took to stop these people, then it was a small sacrifice to make. Anything that could be done to catch and stop the Patriot, he would do it.

But this wasn't what he had in mind.

"Alright." Ellien started, staring at the papers in front of her. "Lets begin. Agent Obreiski, could you please briefly review the profile for Yuri Vasily."

Obreiski nodded, picking up Vasily's file.

"Based on the information given, he's just a normal average day citizen. Currently has time off from his job, usually spends it at his home. He occasionally goes to the library, averaging an hour or two. Other then that, he just looks like another teacher enjoying summer break."

"Right..." Ellien said, thinking to herself. "And what kind of person would you describe Mr. Vasily as?"

"Cooperative." Obreiski answered. "Based on his level of understanding in the field of criminology and sociology, he would be naturally inclined to offer any help to the police. If given the option, he would gladly provide any help he could. He's also social and known well by his peers. Friendly and cooperative, with no reason to hide anything."

Ellien gave a slight nod. "Sounds about right. And what profile would you give Vladimir Makarov?"

"Which one?" Obreiski asked. "The one declared dead or the one that gave the broadcast?"

Sedusky narrowed his eyes. _"So Stephan doesn't know about what really happened to Makarov either..."_

"For all intensive purposes, lets just assume that this new Makarov is indeed the old one." Ellien replied, picking up Makarov's file.

Obreiski picked up Makarov's file as well. "Vladimir Makarov. Middle initial R. Date of birth, October 4, 1970. Age 46. Currently declared deceased."

Ellien gave another small nod. "Psychological profile?"

"Vladimir Makarov is a cold blood killer, making money through attacks and other robberies." Obreiski said, running through his profile. "No regard for human life, has no problem killing anyone or anything standing in his way. He plans everything and takes no unnecessary risks, a careful individual. Has knowledge in basic military training and is a natural stagiest. Hes smart, clever, and determined towards a set goal. If confronted, will openly defend himself, sacrificing anyone as long as he remains safe."

Ellien took a sip of her tea. "Any weaknesses?"

Obreiski took a slight pause. "I would gather that he doesn't want to lose. He doesn't want to be stopped, or confronted and delayed in his plans. If it were to happen, he would probably react violently, and take drastic measures to insure he safety. If he's backed into a corner, he'll become desperate, and do anything to survive."

Sedusky closed his eyes, thinking back to when he had finally wounded Makarov, and how different a person he had become. Stephan's profile of Makarov was spot on. Makarov had gone from an overconfident killer who was sure he couldn't be caught, to a desperate man that would do anything to avoid capture. He could only imagine how many people he would betray to protect himself. A real bastard to the very end.

"Overall, Vladimir Makarov is smart and careful, but easily tempered if confronted." Obreiski finished, setting down the file. "Just what you would expect."

Sedusky gave Ellien a confused look. "So what does this have to do with Audrey's death?"

Ellien took another sip of tea as she reached for more files. "I was looking over the dates of three events that have happened in the past few days."

She opened three files, each open to a different event that had occurred just recently.

"The USSA attack, Makarov's broadcast, and Audrey's death." Ellien listed off, looking over them. "Each an important event, each giving a small piece to the puzzle."

"The attack occurred on the 17th, the broadcast on the 20th, and Audrey's death on the 21st." Sedusky said, looking over the files. "All three in the same week, but how those it help us? There all unconnected, each caused by three different parties, three different cases."

"From a normal point of view." Ellien replied. "But what are these dates really telling us Inspector? What message are they really giving?"

Sedusky already had an idea of what Ellien was getting at, but he didn't what to say it. If Yuri Vasily really was Vladimir Makarov, then it would make him the prime suspect for Audrey's death. And the fact that Audrey was a student in Vasily's class, and then she was found dead only a day after Makarov's broadcast...

It all pointed to Yuri Vasily, but they had no proof. The only thing they had was the fact that Carpathia had somehow wiped his memory, and you could never right that in a report, it was just ridiculous. And with no physical evidence at the crime scene, Yuri Vasily couldn't be found guilty.

"I already know what your thinking Lelend, and you can't convict him." Sedusky stated. "Yuri Vasily can't be found guilty of Audrey's death."

"And I already knew that." Ellien replied in her boring tone. "I hadn't planned accusing him on it anyway."

"Then what?"

"If Yuri Vasily is really this 'new' Makarov like I suspect, then all we have to do is make him show himself." Ellien explained. "I've already concluded that continuing to watch Vasily won't reveal anything, because just like Agent Obreiski explained, Makarov is..."

"Careful." Obreiski answered.

"Right, that's the word." Ellien said, pouring another cup of tea. "Careful..."

"Then how are we going to get him to reveal himself?" Sedusky asked, still skeptical. "It's not like we can ask Vasily and trust him to be honest."

Ellien nodded. "Obviously. We just need another approach. A more less conventional approach."

Sedusky's eyes turned to razors. "What do you mean by 'less conventional'?"

Ellien looked carefully at the tea in her cup. "Inspector Sedusky, I've been finding certain individuals for a long time now, and I've learn a lot about people and how they can be found. Vladimir Makarov is just another individual, looking for something. He's searching for something, something that he can use to find the Patriot."

Ellien narrowed her eyes. "And we're going to 'help' him."

* * *

The Patriot looked at the young woman sitting in the small cell, her back against the wall. She was sound asleep, her eyes closed in slumber. She had been in that cell for as long as this had began, since Shepherd's death. Since 'Makarov's death.

The past was in the part. There was only the future, the only way forward. The Patriot knew this all too well, as so did every member of the USSA. this was the only path now, especially after what had happened in D.C, and every other major U.S city on the coast.

It had been a huge risk sending Miller's and his squad to Red square to test the gas, but it had to be taken. And it was already paying off, after countless experiments and coordination, he had finally created one of the most deadly toxins in history, and it had already proven itself. Soon, every single member of President Vorshevsky's presidential party would face the same fate as the civilans at the GUM, and it was all thanks to a few canceled military's black projects and a little money.

But that wasn't the thing The Patriot was concerned about. It was a new threat, one that the world should have seen the last of, one that would ruin everything if not dealt with accordingly.

Vladimir Makarov. The Former Ultranationalist leader, presumed dead, or so everyone thought until just a few days ago. In a matter of minutes, the entire world watched in complete shock as the 'deceased' mad dog spoke out against Vorshevsky on national television, sending a whole new wave of terror through the city.

At first, The Patriot thought it would be to their advantage. Another diversion that the police would have to handle. But it was only a matter of time before Makarov started to search, and he was looking for the one thing the Patriot had.

But it was just that that would solve the 'Makarov' problem altogether. So long as she was still behind this cell, Makarov couldn't do a thing.

Nina Makarov. Yes that what her name was, just as Shepherd had said. The younger sister of Makarov, and his only surviving family member.

The Patriot looked at Nina through the small window in the door. He couldn't see the cell itself, only her, her body illuminated by a shaft of violet light cutting through the small window high above her.

She looked peaceful. Beautiful. It was so hard to believe someone like her could be related to such a person such as Makarov. She was an angel, and he was the devil.

The Patriot knew that he would do anything to save her, even if meant doing what the Patriot told him to do. She wasn't going anywhere. After all, she still had plenty of time.

_"She still has a chance..." _The Patriot thought, looking at her. _"She still has time..."_

Her life was decided. Either her brother would save her, or she would die. It was just that simple. That was life. Death happens, weather you want it to or not. The Patriot knew this far too well. More then you needed to...

The Patriot shook his head and closed Nina's viewing window. There were still things to do, and only a single night to do it.

* * *

"And you really think it well work?" Sedusky asked, still skeptical of Ellien's plan.

Ellien just gave her usual nod, as if that alone explained everything. "Jaufrei, please make the necessary arrangements."

The elderly man nodded in comply. "Understood. I can have it done before sunrise."

Ellien nodded in comply. "Good. If this works, not only well it confirm my theory of Makarov monitoring the police, but it will also reveal our suspect. Just leave everything to me Inspector."

Sedusky closed his eyes and sighed. "Fine. I won't interfere."

Ellien took another sip of tea. "Agent Obreiski, would you be interested in working with us in the future?"

Obreiski rubbed his head. "Well, I don't know if I should, I mean I would have to talk to-

"If you require permission, leave that to me, I can get it or you." Ellien assured. "Just focus on your decision, that's all."

The American gave a quiet nod. "Okay..."

Ellien glanced up the the clock. "Well, I think that's enough for tonight, I look forward to our next meeting, as well as the results of our little experiment."

Sedusky gave a polite nod. "Of course."

Ellien gave a small smile. "Remember Sedusky, it's our little secret."

Sedusky gave her a slow nod. "Sure..."

Her smile vanished as soon as it had appeared, replaced by her usual expression. "Jaufrei, could you please show Agent Obreiski and Inspector Sedusky to the door?"

Jaufrei nodded. "Certainly madam. Gentlemen, if you could come this way please..."

* * *

The Patriot gently set the young girl's body to the ground, making sure nothing was damaged. She was so young, just a young girl living in Moscow, living with her parents, working a part time job and going to the movies with friends on the weekends. She had had so much ahead of her, so much life left to live, if only she had.

The Patriot straightened her lifeless arms and legs, making sure she was perfectly straight, as if she had been laying in a coffin. Her bonde hair was soaked as more rain continued to fall on her pale face. Even in death, she was beautiful.

Her eyes were shut as The Patriot passed a hand gently over her face, making sure she looked as at peace as possible. There was no need to mutilate her body, nothing barbaric such as that. There was no point, it was just sick and cruel. It was important to have respect for the dead.

The Patriot laid a folded up American flag next to her head, making sure it was sitting just in the right position. The flag was soaked in blood, her blood. The blood of a young girl caught in this war. A war that could have been avoided, but wasn't.

The Patriot reached into a small coat pocket and pulled out a small silver figurine. It was a small revolutionary soldier, armed with a musket and wearing a trihorn hat. The words 'PATRIOT' were inscribed on the bottom.

The Patriot knelt down and gently opened the girl's hand, gingerly placing the figuring into her palm before closing it shut. Finally done, another casualty of war, just like what every American had endured. Just like Moscow and the rest of Russia would.

The Patriot took a step back, looking at the dead girl. This is what it had come to. This is how the world was.

"Liberty through Patriotism." The Patriot said, taking off his hat. "I regret to give only one life for my country."

The rain continued to fall as The Patriot watched the blood from the flag slowly travel away in a small red river.

* * *

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	25. Passive, Aggressive

Quiet. Peacefulness. Bliss and relaxation. Warmth and perfect comfort. Just perfect.

"Get up."

He turned his head to the side. He could sleep just a little bit longer, just a bit more. A minute two or more wouldn't hurt.

"Get up Webb..."

That voice...It wouldn't stop. It kept bothering him, taking him out of his peaceful sleep. Just close your eyes, it will go away eventually... Just close your eyes and go back to sleep...

"I said get up!"

Their was three loud knocks at the door, causing Webb to jump and nearly fall out of his bed, startled by the sudden volume and taken out of his peaceful sleep. He closed his eyes and sighed, already knowing who was on the other side.

"You better be ready in five minutes." The familiar voice of Nathaniel Miller called. "And you don't want to keep me waiting..."

Webb rubbed his head and looked over at the clock. 6:30. Way too early for him. But not early for Miller.

There was no point in trying to fight it, he'd better get up unless he wanted to face the painful consequences. Miller wasn't one to keep waiting, and Webb already knew what would happen if he tried to disobey.

He reluctantly brought himself out of his warm bed and stretched, still trying to wake up his half asleep body. He had five minutes to get ready, five minutes to prepare for another day's work. Only this time, he would be working with Nathaniel Miller, and he already knew the type of work he would be expecting.

He wished he had fifteen minutes rather then five. Especially with Miller.

_"Well, lets just get up and get this day over with..."_ Webb thought as he brought himself up. _"No point in delaying in the inevitable... "_

Well, at least a day with Nathaniel Miller always seemed to end up being an interesting one..._

* * *

_Agent Stephan Obreiski felt like he was experiencing deja vu, the same sights, the same sounds, the same everything. And it was the second time in only a couple days.

He looked at the young girl's pale face and blonde hair, highlighted by the bright morning sun. Her eyes were closed, just like the last one. Her wrists were slit, just like lthe last one. A folded American flag soaked in blood was next to her head, just like the last one. And finally, a small figuring was sitting in her hand, just like the ext one...

The Patriot had stuck again, giving another crime scene with seemingly no evidence and nothing to go on.

Obreiski sighed. "Audio memo two, the victim's name is Aleksis Romanov, age 22. Declared missing two weeks ago."

As he knelt down, he gingerly opened the young woman's hand, just as he had done to the first girl only a couple days ago when he had first arrived.

"A small figurine is placed in the victims hand, the words Patriot are on the figurine." Obreiski said into the recorder. "The figuring is silver with a gloss polish. No prints or other identifiable markings can be seen at the present time, mostly likely washed away in the rain at the time the scene was made..."

His eyes went from the girls hand to the American flag folded up by her head, blood soaked.

"Audio memo two, an American flag soaked in the victims blood is placed just above the victims head." Obreiski stated, studying the flag. "No other evidence can be obtained from the flag..."

He rose, taking a final look over Aleksis's body, taking note of every detail.

"Based on the way the victim was left, as well as the way she was killed, it is safe to assume that this is another murder from the USSA leader known only as the Patriot." Obreiski declared, standing over the body. "If autopsy reports confirm that she died of a heartattck just like the last victim, then it only-

"Are you about done?"

Obreiski closed his eyes and turned around to see Irene standing impatiently behind him, her arms crossed, waiting expectantly.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Obreiski said, raising his small recording device. "Why did you even come if your just going to complain?"

"In case you don't remember, It's now my job to 'babysit' you." Irene explained sharply, glaring at him. "Someone has to keep an eye on you at all times, remember?"

"Oh, right..." Obreiski replied sarcastically. "Just in case I try to plant a bomb, right?"

Irene's eyes turned to razors. "Why don't you just go back to talking to yourself 'Stephan'..."

"More then happy to." Obreiski replied, tuning away from her.

Ever since he had meet with Director Lukin, he had to be under constant supervision, as a act of 'protocol' to make sure he wasn't leaking information in an attempt to aid the U.S government in the war. After all, the Russian government wasn't going to take lightly to an FBI agent walking around their streets freely, especially since the two country's were at war. Some form of surveillance and restriction had to be taken, and that entire plan was in the form of Irene Sedusky.

It was the last person he wanted to be around. She was always hostile, always aggressive, always arguing with him. It made his work that much more stressful and that much more harder. Why couldn't Cecile or Henri watch over him instead? At least they didn't hate his guts.

Maybe he could get Irene so mad, that she would demand a different position, that way someone else could be assigned to watch him, someone who at least didn't despise him.

He shook his head and sighed. He had more important things to worry about then his personal problems. For now, he would have to tolerate Irene.

Obreiski brought the receiver back to his mouth. "Audio memo two..."

* * *

Makarov opened his eyes, finding himself listening to the ringing of his telephone sitting on his nightstand. He blindly reached out, trying to make contact with the phone as he layed in bed, still half asleep.

He finally got hold of the phone and brought it to his ear. "Hello?"

The familiar voice of Anatoly answered. "Makarov! Great news?"

Makarov raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"You know how we've been monitoring the police, just like you said?" Anatoly explained in excitement. "And to let you know if they found anything?"

Makarov continued to listen to Anatoly, until he heard works he never expected to hear this soon.

"What!" Makarov exclaimed, quickly sitting up. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Makarov couldn't believe it. He thought it would take the police longer to find such a lead, but it seemed like they already had. It was the first step to finding the Patriot, finding Nina. Saving Nina. Ending this once and for all.

"On my way." Makarov said quickly before hanging up the phone. He was already out of bed and getting dressed, anxious to move.

The police had found a USSA member, and he was living in the city.

David Locke would be the first step to finding the Patriot, and saving his sister.

* * *

Webb continued behind Miller, walking along the street as they continued along to their destination.

"So what are we doing sir?" Webb asked, walking next to Miller.

"Picking up an item." Miller explained simply, walking up a flight of small steps to an apartment door.

The two entered through the door and into the building. "And what type of item would that be?"

Miller gave a cold smile. "Just a special ingredient..."

Webb nodded. "I see..."

Webb already knew what Miller was talking about as the two walked down the hall in the rundown apartment complex. They were picking up more of the nerve gas. The hydrochloric phosphorus. The supposed key to everything.

"Here." Miller said, stopping at one of the wooden doors. "This is were he lives."

Webb watched as Miller took out his silver .44 Magnum, cocking it and making sure it was loaded.

"Um, why do you need that?" Webb asked, eying the silver gun.

"Insurance." Miller explained simply, as if that answered Webb's questions instantly.

Webb reached to his side and pulled out his M9. _"Right...Insurance...Hope it won't be needed."_

Miller gave five hard knocks at the wooden door, using the grip of his pistol as a hammer, causing the knocks to be twice as hard.

The two waited for the door to open, listening for the footsteps that would follow. But they didn't hear anything. only silence.

"Guess no one's home..." Webb said, putting his pistol back to his side. "Guess will have to come back-

A loud crack caused Webb to look up in surprise as he looked to see the door's lock broken, having been kicked in by Miller.

"Guess will have to make sure." Miller said quietly, his .44 raised. He carefully checked the area around the apartment entrance before proceedeing inside.

Webb brought his M9 back out and sighed, following suit, carefully checking every corner and cranny, sweeping the apartment and covering Miller.

The place looked like a bomb factory. Spliced wires and other electronics littered the floor, with soldering and other tools covering the tables. Other assorted instruments were placed in random places, making it hard to believe that someone actually lived here.

"Seems like Mikhail Nanko is a pretty busy guy." Webb said as he looked around the messy apartment, his M9 still slightly raised.

"He's a snake and a mentally damaged scientist, giving whatever the highest bidder needs." Miller explained, looking around the apartment. "He gives us what we need and we don't have to worry about him telling the police. Just another desperate peasant..."

Webb continued to look around the apartment. "So what are exactly are we looking for?"

"A safe." Miller replied. "And that's all you need to know."

Webb glared off to the side. _"Ya, of course it is..."_

Miller was always keeping secrets from everyone, including his team. He wondered if he even trusted the Patriot. He never figured out why he was in the USSA. He had never told anyone what had happened to him during the invasion, or why he had joined up. It just never crossed his mind. Maybe the answered lie in his office, just like the address he had found.

Suddenly, he remembered and realized the address, and where he was right now.

_"613 Wevering avenue..." _Webb thought, looking around the room. _"That's exactly were I am right now!"_

The address had the subject 'supplier' written above it, and it all made sense now. Mikhail Nanko was the supplier of the nerve gas, the one that held the key to everything.

If that was the case, then he must know something, something that could give him another lead to the Patriot. The answer had to lie in this room somewhere. It had to bee somewhere.

He looked around quickly, keeping one eye on Miller as he searched. He wouldn't look suspicion since Miller and him were lookng for something in the first place, but he didn't want to take any chances. No mistakes. Nothing to cause any suspicion.

He looked at Mikhail's desk, and noticed a small card on the scientist's desk. He casually picked it up, reading over it.

_"Karl?" _Webb thought to himself, reading over it. _"Yellow Lust? The hell's that mean?"_

"You still looking or what?" Miller asked, noticing Webb's pause.

"Um, ya." Webb replied quickly, putting the card back down, already having memorized it. "I'll check over-

He was interrupted by another set of footsteps, ones that were different from his and Miller's. Webb looked up to see a weakly looking man standing in the middle of the living room, looking at Miller in silent horror.

A sly smile sketched across Miller's face. "Ah, Mikhail, just the man we needed to see..."

Mikhail took a step back in fear, looking at Miller's .44. "What are you doing here?"

"We're just here to pick up a few things." Webb said, putting his pistol back to his side. "Thats all friend."

Mikhail's eyes traveled back from Webb to Miller. "You said I had two weeks. That was the timeline!"

"Timeline's changed." Miller declared, putting his.44 back to his side. "I want the chemical now."

Mikhail shook his head. "N-N-No, you don't understand. I-I don't have it, if I just had more time, I could-

"Mikhail, have you ever heard of 'Kinesics?" Miller asked, slowly approaching Mikhail.

Mikhail stood frozen. "What?"

"Its the study of body language, how people react and show emotions through their body language." Miller explained, slowly inching towards Mikhail. "If your really good, you can tell when people are being sincere. When someone has a crush on you. When someone is talking behind your back. And when someone is lying to you..."

A lump formed in Mikhail's throat. "I-I if your implying-

"I've been practicing Kinesics, and I've gotten quite skilled at it..." Miller continued, staring directly. "So skilled in fact, that i'm never wrong. Especially when someone's lying..."

"Easy Miller..." Webb said quietly, standing beside them.

"So i'm going to make this simple for you." Miller said coldly. "I want that chemical..."

Mikhail shook his head. "And I told you, I don't-

Miller grabbed the man by the neck of his collar, dragging him violently only inches to Miller. Webb winced as he continued to watch.

"Maybe I need to make this simpler for you..." Miller said harshly, glaring at Mikhail. "Why don't trying using something other then words?"

"Miller, are you out of your goddamn mind!" Webb yelled, watching the scene unfold in front of him. He couldn't let him beat him around like that, the man looked like he was about to have a heart attack. He was telling the truth, Miller was just looking for the imposable, the man didn't have what he needed.

"Please..." Mikhail pleaded. "I-I already told you..."

"Your nothing but a pile of shit." Miller snarled, beginning to choke the man. "Don't you understand, your life is nothing to me! Do I need to go on?"

Mikhail gasped for breath. "Please..."

Miller threw him violently to the ground, kicking him in the side. "Just try me! Go on and try me!"

Webb looked at the man, gasping for breath as he clutched his side in pain. He knew how it felt, how it felt to be beaten to a pulp. How it felt to be on the receiving end of Nathaniel Miller's anger.

Miller closed his eyes and sighed. "I think I should just put a bullet in this animal's head and find it one my own..."

Suddenly, Mikhail jumped to his feet and swiftly pulled out a concealed pistol, catching both Webb and Miller off guard. Mikhail stood posed in anger, the pistol shaking in his hand as he aimed it at Miller.

"Fucking American dog!"

Webb instantly drew his M9. "Drop the gun Mikhail!"

"I'm going to take care of you once and for all!" Mikhail yelled, ignoring Webb. "I should have done this along time ago..."

Miller took a step back, his hands raised slightly in surrender, unable to grab his revolver.

"Shoot him Matthew!" Miller ordered, looking back between Mikhail and Webb. "For fuck sakes, fire your weapon and kill him!"

Webb took a deep breath. He couldn't let him kill Miller, but he wasn't going to shoot the man. Rational approach, that what he would take. There was no reason to kill him. He was just scared and desperate, not himself. He just needed to calm him down. He didn't have to die over this. No one did...

"Calm down Mikhail, no one is going to hurt you." Webb assured quickly, his pistol still trained on the man. "We're not here to cause you any pain, I promise you!"

Mikhail continued to aim the pistol at Miller, his finger on the trigger. Webb's finger was also wrapped around his gun's trigger, the sights aimed on the man's head. Mikhail had Miller's life in his hands, Webb had Mikhail in his...

"Listen, your not going to do yourself good if you pull that trigger." Webb said calmly, pleading with Mikhail. "You have to trust me, you won't get a second chance if-

"Second chance my ass!" Miller snarled, glaring at Webb. "Get this gun out of my fucking face and shoot this dog Matthew! That's an order!"

"I'm going to erase you from the face of the earth..." Mikhail said quietly. "Erase you for good... Erase you for good..."

Webb took another deep breath "Listen to me Mikhail, Nathaniel Miller and I are going to leave right now, and never come back."

"What?" Miller asked, staring at Webb as if he had gone crazy.

"Miller, our business is finished here." Webb continued, ignoring Miller's outbursts. "The Patriot has given us new orders. Lets go and leave Mikhail alone."

"Erase you for good..." Mikhail continued to repeat, the pistol still drawn. "I can erase you...Erase you... Erase you...Erase you.."

"Listen to my voice Mikhail." Webb said calmly. "Just listen to my voice, nothing else. Do nothing else and trust me. You have to trust me."

_"I need him to calm down, get him away from Miller..."_ Webb thought to himself, assessing the situation. _"I just have to calm him down, he's not himself..." _

"I don't want to shoot you Mikhail, please..." Webb said in a calm voice. "But if you pull that trigger, I'll have no choice..."

Mikhail continued to glare at Miller, his pistol aimed, ready to fire. Webb looked as he slightly relaxed his grip on the gun, his hand slowly stopping to shake. A sign that he was calming down. A sign Webb was looking for.

"Take three steps back." Webb ordered. "Slowly..."

Mikhail stepped back slowly, just as Webb had said. He still held the pistol, still aimed at Miller. His finger still on the trigger.

"Drop the gun Mikhail." Webb said. "Set it on the ground and kick it over to me. Do this slowly..."

Mikhail calmly nodded and carefully placed the pistol on the ground, kicking it over to Webb.

"Put both of your hands on your head." Webb ordered, his M9 still trained on the man. Mikhail slowly placed his hands on his head and took a deep breath.

"Now turn around." Webb ordered, slightly lowering his pistol.

Mikhail nodded in comply and turned around, his hands still on his head, away from Miller.

Webb gave a sigh of relief. Finally it was over. No bullets fired. No blood spilled. No one killed. Just the way-

A loud gunshot rang out, causing Webb to look up in surprise and nearly drop his pistol. The only thing he saw was a sudden muzzle flash then the color of blood flying through the air.

Bright crimson drenched the wall as Mikhail fell to the ground, his head now a bloody mess. Webb watched as the man fell to the ground, dead before his head crashed to the floor.

He slowly lowered his pistol in horror, and looked over to see Miller holding his .44, the barrel smoking from the recent shot.

"Y-You..." Webb started, still comprehending what had just happened. "Y-You shot him...You killed him..."

Miller casually placed the pistol back to his side and walked up to Mikhail's body. He reached into the man's pocket and pulled out a set of keys.

Webb couldn't even begin to understand. He had surrendered. There was no reason for him to die. He had surrendered...

Miller walked over to near by safe and inserted the key into the lock, unlocking the safe and opening it's door. He reached in and pulled out a dozen small phials, each with a deadly warning label.

"He surrendered..." Webb said quietly, looking at Mikhail's body. "He surrendered...And you just executed him..."

"I told you to shoot." Miller replied, heading to the door. "Would have saved me the trouble..."

Webb just shook his head. The only reason why he would of shot him is in defense. Not to murder him. He had dropped his weapon. He had put his hands on his head. Webb had finally calmed him down, and promised him that nothing was going to happen to him. He had promised that they weren't going to hurt him. He had believed him until the very end...

"Someone had to of heard that shot..." Miller said. "Let go before the police get here."

Webb just shook his head. This man's death had been unnecessary, avoidable, preventable. Just like his mothers...

Webb took one final look at Mikhail before putting his M9 away and following behind Miller.

* * *

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	26. Locke

The sun continued to beat down on the hot concrete sidewalk as Makarov walked down it, keeping a brisk, constant pace. He was already anxious when he had heard that Anatoly had gotten a solid lead, one that would lead them somewhere. Somewhere towards the Patriot.

David Locke. That was the name. Age 34. Height six foot one, weight 180 pounds. Currently living under a false name in the Moscow city limits. Currently suspected in terrorists acts against the general populace. Suspected in being a member of the United Sovereign States of America.

It was just as he was hoping. A lone member that had been found by the police, but was still out of custody. The police would have to get approval by a judge to get a warrant for his arrest, something that would take time. Time he would use to get what he wanted before the police did.

It was a start, but one he needed if he was ever to find his sister. It would take time, effort and continuous work, but he would find her in the end, and succeed.

And it would all start, with an American by the name of David Locke.

Makarov continued to walk until he came across a familiar figure, leaning against a light post, reading the paper. He looked up when he recognized Makarov approach, and a bright grin appeared on his face.

"Hey!" Anatoly greeted, folding up his paper. "Makarov, the-

"Don't say my name!" Makarov hissed, cutting Anatoly off. "What good is it going to do me if you call me that?"

Anatoly scratched his head. "Sorry, 'Vasily'."

Makarov nodded and sighed. "We need to be careful. I don't think anyone's been following me now for at least two days, but I'm not going to take any chances. And neither are you. Understand?"

Anatoly gave a calm smile. "Sure thing, 'Yuri'."

"Right..." Makarov started, crossing his arms. "Wheres Locke?"

Anatoly glanced up to the towering apartment sitting just behind them. "There. Room 542. Fifth floor."

"And your sure hes here?"

Anatoly nodded. "I've been watching everyone come in and out just like you said, and Locke hasn't appeared."

"Good, then lets go and pay him a visit." Makarov said, clutching his M9 in his pocket. "We'll get what we need and get the hell out of there."

"Maka-, I mean Yuri, what exactly are we looking for?" Anatoly asked, starting to head to the apartment entrance.

Makarov gave a sly smile. "We're looking for a Patriot..."

* * *

Camera flashes and other sounds of nearby police continued all around him as Sedusky examined the scene in front of him. He was standing in a rundown apartment, studying the room, now transformed into a homicide crime scene.

Blood stained the floor and wall, the red crimson coming from a middle aged man now laying on the ground, a bullet hole now visible just above his right eye.

Mikhail Nanko. A synthetic analyzer for some big chemical research company under government contract. Just another average citizen living in the city, or so Sedusky thought when he had read Nanko's file.

The man wasn't just a synthetic analyzer, his apartment told him that much. Wires and cables littered the ground, with tools and electronics littering the ground. Primers and triggers, unstable chemicals and other miscellaneous items, all towards one purpose.

Nanko wasn't just a scientist, but a chemical arms maker. The question now was, who was he supplying, and who was his killer...

"Quite something huh?" Cecile said, standing beside him.

Sedusky nodded. "The guy has enough stuff here to build and supply a small arms group..."

"Appears so." Cecile replied, examining a set of soldering tools sitting on a nearby table. "Looks like he was desperate for the money."

"And someone else too." Sedusky said, looking down at Mikhail's body. "Probably why he was murdered."

"Well, we don't know that for sure, but we found something that might help answer that..."

Sedusky raised his eyebrow. "Evidence?"

Cecile nodded and held up a small clear plastic bag. "We found this before you got here."

Sedusky gingerly took the bag and studied the item inside. It was only a small card, somewhat of business card of something you would leave a contact if you needed to be called back. But there was no phone number, just a name and two other words.

"Karl?" Sedusky said, studying the card. "Yellow Lust? Whats that?"

"We're looking into it." Cecile explained. "But that's not the big thing."

"Then what is?"

"We found fingerprints on the card." Cecile said, smiling to herself. "And since Mikhail Nanko lived alone and the're not his, its a good chance they're the killer's."

"Excellent!" Sedusky exclaimed. "Then the killer should be good as caught. When can we find out who this print belongs to?"

"When you give me it back..." Cecile said, snatching the card out of his hands. "...And when I send it to forensics."

Sedusky smiled. "Right..."

The cell phone is his pocket went off and he reached for it, flipping it open. His eyes narrowed and gave a small sigh of displeasure as he found out who was calling him.

"Sorry, I have to go." Sedusky said, giving Cecile a small wave and heading to the door. This is kind of important..."

Cecile crossed her arms and gave him a skeptical look. "And this isn't?"

Sedusky just smiled. "I'll see you later Cecile..."

As much as he wanted to not to admit it, this was important to him. And probably the rest of the world as well.

* * *

There was only the faint sounds of cars driving overhead and the news playing on the television as Webb sat silently at small kitchen table, staring out into space. Miller was in his room, doing his work, leaving him with his thoughts.

Chloe was right. Miller didn't know restraint. It probably was just one big game of excitement to him. That's all it was to him.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, sitting on the couch. "You haven't said a word since you got back."

"You haven't touch your oatmeal either..." Clay added, staring at the t.v, watching the news.

Webb looked at the brownish mash in front of him. "Yeah..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his blood meter. He gave himself a small prick to check his blood sugar, and found it was slightly below. He popped a small sugar tablet into his mouth and put the two back into his pocket. Diabetes was one thing, but Nathaniel Miller was a completely different story.

Why did he even safe him? Was it because they were on the same side, brothers in arms working together to a common goal? Or was it simply because he was his superior, and it was his job to follow his orders, no matter what they were...

It didn't matter now anyway. What was done was done. Miller was the killer, and Webb was only trying to prevent an unessential death. Some effort that was...

But at least he had found one more thing, something that could lead him and Clay further.

_"Karl..."_ Webb thought, thinking back to the card he found. _"Yellow Lust..."_

Now with Mikhail Nanko dead, it seemed those three words were now the only things he could follow.

* * *

Makarov silently walked to the apartment door marked 542, Anatoly just close behind. He pulled out his pistol and listened on the other side of the door, trying to hear footsteps or any sounds that would tell if anyone was home or not.

"I don't hear anything." Makarov whispered, his ear on the door. "Could be sleeping or reading."

"Either way, no one came out." Anatoly said quietly. "He's in there."

Makarov gently tried the door. _"Locked...Such a surprise..."_

"I got it." Anatoly said, pulling out a pair of lockpicks. "Anya thought me how to do this a few months back."

Makarov watched as Anatoly played with the locked, picking at it and trying to force the lock open. He seemed to have a much harder time doing it then Anya had, but Makarov had no experience in lock picking, so he wasn't about to criticize.

It only took about a minute before a small click told both of them that they were in.

"Lets go." Makarov said quietly, bringing his M9 up. "Silent and swift. Knock him out and subdue him before he gets a chance to move. We don't want to cause an uproar."

Anatoly silently nodded and brought his own pistol up. Makarov put his hand on the doorknob.

"On my go." Makarov said." 3, 2, 1.."

Makarov flung the door open. "Go."

The two quickly entered through the door and into the small apartment. They quickly checked every area around them, watching for any signs of movement. Makarov went through the kitchen. Clear. Anatoly took the small hallway leading to the bedroom and the bathroom. Clear. The two swepted through the rest of the apartment and met up in the middle of the living room. Also clear.

Makarov scanned the room, trying to see what they missed. _"Where the hell is he! Is he hiding!"_

"Anatoly, close the door and lock it." Makarov ordered, pacing around the room. "Make sure he doesn't sneak out."

Anatoly nodded and quickly closed the door and secured the deadbolt, locking it tightly. At least Locke couldn't sneak out and escape.

Still, it didn't make any sense. Unless Anatoly had been mistaken or Locke somehow figured out the police found him, he should be here.

"Your sure he didn't walk out?" Makarov asked. "Your absolutely sure?"

"Theres only one entrance, and I watched everyone who came out." Anatoly replied. "He didn't come out."

"Then the only possibility is he didn't come back to the apartment today." Makarov said, thinking to himself. "He must be somewhere else, he just didn't come back here."

"So now what?"

"We wait for him to come back." Makarov replied. "Until then, lets look around. You got gloves?"

Anatoly nodded and pull out two pairs of black gloves from his pocket, throwing a pair to Makarov. No need to leave fingerprints if the police search the place.

Makarov started in the living room. Simple and clean. Just and sofa and small T.V. A small coffee table littered with different magazines sat in front of it.

"Search the bedroom." Makarov ordered, leaning down at the magazines. Something wasn't right here.

He reached down and looked at the magazines, looking at the dates.

_"Theses are all today's magazines..."_ Makarov thought, panning through the magazines. _"How are theses here if Locke hasn't even set foot in here today?..."_

"Nothing in the bedroom!" Anatoly called. "I'll go through the closet."

"Okay..." Makarov said, still focused on the magazines. Things here were not the way they should be. They were unnatural...

"Did Locke live alone?" Makarov asked, trying to figure out why the magazines were here.

"The police file stated he lived by himself." Anatoly replied from the bedroom. "But, you never know..."

Makarov set the magazine's back down and turned his attention to the living room. His eyes focused on the sofa and couch.

_"All this furniture is all new..." _Makarov thought to himself, studying the couch. _"Its like he moved in only yesterday..."_

"How long has Locke been living here?" Makarov asked.

"About four months." Anatoly replied. "He's got a lot of nice clothes too. Pretty new too."

Today's magazines. New furniture and clothes. No Locke. Things were not right here, something else was going on.

"Anatoly were leaving now." Makarov said, heading for the door. "Get your things and lets go."

"What?"

"Were leaving now!" Makarov repeated. "Locke isn't here, he never was! Now lets get-

Makarov was cut off by the ringing of the nearby wall phone. Makarov and Anatoly stared at it carefully, both looking at each other in question.

"Should we answer it?"

Makarov said nothing and carefully reached for the phone and pick it off the hook. He slowly raised it to his ear and brought the speaker to his mouth, waiting.

A woman's voice appeared. "Hello, is this Vladimir Makarov?"

Makarov froze and his eyes opened in shock. _"What! Who the hell is this!"_

"Vladimir Makarov?" Makarov asked, giving a small laugh. "I'm sorry, you must have the-

"Theres really no point in hiding it." The woman said swiftly. "Theres only one person who would have broken into David Locke's apartment. You can quit hiding it."

Makarov scanned the ceiling and walls. _"Is she watching me?...Are there cameras in this room?..."_

"Though I can't see you right now, I already know your Makarov." The woman explained. "Only he would search the apartment of a man that doesn't even exist."

Makarov's eyes narrowed _"So it was a trick...There never was a David Locke...Just as I suspected..."_

"I have to say, it was almost a little to easy..." The woman said. "I never expected you to actually fall for this..."

Makarov gripped the phone. "Who is this?"

"Me?" The woman said. "No one you would know... Yet that is..."

"Yet?"

"I've been trying to figure out who you are, and what your searching for Makarov." She explained. "And thanks to you, I'll know both of them."

"I figured you were monitoring the police and also trying to find the Patriot." The woman continued, each word she aid slowly causing Makarov's anger to rise. "I used that to come up with this small trap. The bait, David Locke. The fish, Vladimir Makarov."

He heard a small laugh on the other side. "So now I know where you are, and what your looking for. Pretty easy if I don't say so myself."

Makarov gripped the phone in anger. "Who the hell are you?"

"Like I said, I doubt you would know me, but I've been currently task to find you." The woman replied. "My name is Ellien Lelend."

_"Ellien Lelend?..." _Makarov thought to himself. _"Thats the name Elena told me about..."_

"Well, I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me, and I'm just as curious to find out more about you_._" Ellien replied. "But you can answer all of my questions once the police have you in custody."

There was a small pause on the line. "And the police should be arriving...Right about...Now."

A loud knock came from the other side of the wooden door, causing both Makarov and Anatoly to spin over in surprise.

"Police, FSB!" A man yelled from the other side. "Open this door now!"

Makarov gripped the phone in anger_ "Damn her!...Who the hell does she think she is!..."_

"I look forward to speaking with you soon." Ellien said calmly, causing Makarov's anger to riase._  
_

There was a small laugh "Welcome to the real game, Makarov... "Ellien said mockingly. "Hope you know how to play..."

The phone clicked, and Ellien hung up. Leaving Makarov left in a state of mixed shock and anger.

_"She is going to pay for this..."_

* * *

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_


	27. Out of the Frying Pan

Makarov calmly hung up the phone, already formulating a plan in his head. The police were already here, and If that was the case, then it was safe to assume that they had the building surrounded by now, a fight to the main entrance was simply out of the question.

A different approach had to be taken, something that would allow them to escape without having to fight the police. The first order of business however, was delaying the problem at hand.

Makarov took his gun out of his pocket and smashed the lock and handle off of the door, jamming it and making it impossible to open from either side. First step: Delay.

He grabbed a nearby chair and jammed it under the knob, making it even harder to open, giving him more time to think things through.

_"The window..." _Makarov thought, looking over at the far side of the living room. _"It's a long shot, but the only one that we've got. But we just can't jump out..."_

"Anatoly, grab the magazines on the table and put them in the toaster._" _Makarov ordered as he went to the kitchen stove stove.

"What?" Anatoly asked, lost and confused.

"Just do it!" Makarov snapped, beginning to pull the stove away from the wall.

Anatoly instantly closed his mouth and rushed to the living room, grabbing the magazines off the coffee table and stuffing them in the toaster. Makarov finally had the stove away from the wall, and was studying the gas lines that ran to and from the metal oven.

"What exactly are you doing?" Anatoly asked, eying the gas line with caution.

Makarov gave a small smirk before breaking the gas line, causing the fumes to seep out into the kitchen.

"Creating a diversion." Makarov replied, pressing down the toaster button and lighting the magazines inside on fire.

That would give them 30 to 40 seconds, just enough time for them to escape, just enough time before everything went off. Second step: Diversion.

_"Hope Ellien likes getting burned..."

* * *

_

Sedusky watched as Ellien continued to speak into nearby radios, constantly checking and coordinating nearly dozens of different FSB teams all by herself. He was amazed at how quickly and efficiently she was able to corner and secure the building. From the moment that door was open and tripped the electronic switch, she had been constantly giving orders.

And at the same time, he could see and watch it all on security cameras inside the apartment. The first team was just outside the apartment door, banging and slamming on the door to get it open. It was a tough effort, but they would get through in the end, and have whoever was inside in their custody. It was a shame they didn't have any cameras inside the room.

"D-Group, have you secured the outside entrances and streets?" Ellien asked, speaking into one of her radios.

"Yes m'am, no one's getting through."

"No one gets in or out until we have the target, am I clear?"

"Clear."

Ellien set down one radio and at the same time switched it to another one. "A-Group, what's the delay?" She asked, looking up at the screen.

"The doors jammed, they barred it from the inside." The FSB captain replied over his radio.

"I don't care how you get in, just get that door open now." Ellien ordered, her eyes narrowed at the screen. "Potenate Carpathia himself will personally compensate for any damages."

"Understood."

Sedusky watched as the FSB Captain reached to his side and began to wired the door, setting up charges along the frame and latch. It only took him a moment before they he was done.

"Ready to breach." The captain said, his team already in position at the door.

"All units are cleared to shot, but only if fired upon." Ellien ordered. "Do not shoot to kill, the target is no good to us dead."

"Understood."

"Prepare to breach on my mark..."

* * *

Makarov stepped outside of the apartment and onto the window ledge. He only had about half a foot of space to shimmy along side the building. The fall itself had to be at least forty to fifty feet, more the enough to kill. But the smell of gas fumes and the police pushed him ahead.

"Come on!" Makarov urged, looking at Anatoly, still halfway through the window.

Anatoly took a look down at the alley far below. "I don't know..."

"Do it." Makarov ordered. "Or you can die. Your choice."

Anatoly gulped and reluctantly brought himself out on the ledge. He's entire body was shaking as he closed the apartment window behind them.

"We'll shimmy over to the fire escape and jump from there." Makarov said, looking over at the fire escape at the building. "We should be able to make it as long as we're not interrupted."

Anatoly just nodded, still shaking in fear. Makarov took a deep breath and began to shimmy along the side of the building, trying not to look at the alley dozens of feet below.

_"Just don't look down...Just don't look down...Just don't look down..."

* * *

_"Go."

The door charge went off as soon as Ellien gave the order. the camera shaking from the explosion. The FSB team swiftly proceeded through the door, all five members inside in a matter of seconds.

Ellien pressed a button and switched the camera feed to one of the helmet cams on one of the FSB members, giving them a first person view of everything happening in real time.

Sedusky could see the apartment. It was quiet and simple, just as Ellien had described it. He watched as the FSB quickly went from room to room, sweeping every inch of every room in a matter of seconds.

"Clear!"

"Bathroom clear!"

"Bedroom is clear!"

"All clear in the living room!"

Ellien narrowed her eyes at the screen. "A-Group, report."

"Target is no where in sight." The FSB captain replied, looking around the room.

"Impossible." Ellien stated. "The target is in there, keep searching."

"M'am, we've already swept the entire room, there's no one in here."

Sedusky watched as Ellien closed her eyes, thinking to herself. It only took her a second before they reopened.

"The window." Ellien said, staring at the screen. "They went out the-

A loud explosion shook the entire screen and everything went blank, the FSB and the room now replaced by static. Sedusky looked to see all five FSB members names go red, they're heartbeats all flatlined.

"What the hell just happened!" Sedusky demanded, staring at the screen in horror.

"A-Group, respond." Ellien said, staring at the screen. No answer. Just static.

"All units, secure the building." Ellien ordered. "I want visual on what just happened."

* * *

Makarov was nearly through off by the explosion, even though he had been expecting it. It couldn't have come at a more perfect time. The two had jumped just as the explosion occurred, giving them an extra boost to jump across the narrow alley and onto the fire escape on the building across. Third step: Escape.

"Come on." Makarov said, getting to his feet. "We'll reach the street through this building, but we still have to move."

Anatoly took a deep breath. "Right...Right behind you..."

The two opened a nearby window and proceeded inside the building, still keeping a steady pace as they moved further and further away from the burning building.

* * *

"They blew it up?"

"Yes..." Ellien said casually. "So it would seem..."

Sedusky threw his headset against the wall in anger. "How! You said you had everything in control!"

"I did." Ellien replied, still staring at the screen.

"So what do you call that!" Sedusky shouted, pointing at the screen. The apartment was now on fire, black smoke bellowing out of the window where the apartment used to be.

"An unfortunate setback." Ellien replied simply. "Something no one could have-

"Seen coming?" Sedusky finished. "Really? How obvious could you be?"

"If you have a suggestion on how we should proceed, please. I'm all ears." Ellien replied calmly, glancing over at Sedusky.

Sedusky opened his mouth to speak, but just stopped himself. They knew they could do more. They already had police barricading and setting up roadblocks. They already had FSB surrounding the buildings and searching every room. They already had the fire department on its way. But all of it would be useless to Sedusky. Makarov would be long gone by then, and it would all be for nothing.

His phone came to life in his pocket and he reached inside to answer it. But instead of getting an answer, he recieved a message instead.

"I have to go back to the office." Sedusky said, heading for the door.

Ellien just nodded, still staring at the screen watching the fire continue to engulf the building. Sedusky just shook his head and headed ot the door, hoping whatever Eceile wanted to tell him, would hopefully cheer him up.

* * *

Webb continued to repeat the words over in his head as he stared up at the ceiling in his room, trying to figure out what they ment.

_"Karl...Yellow Lust..."_

He knew there was importance to the, but he still couldn't figure out why. He had tried to figure out in his head what it might lead to, what riddle it was, what message it was trying to send.

But so far, nothing.

He reached under his bed and pulled out his laptop, opening the screen and going to the internet. If any thing could provide answers, the internet was it.

He first searched the words 'Karl' and 'Yellow Lust'. The results were scattered, misleading and non relevant. He then tried adding Moscow to the list, then that's when he finally found what he was searching for.

Webb stared at the screen, looking at the address in front of him. Yellow Lust. A nightclub in the heart of the city. Not exactly what he had been expecting, but not exactly out of place either.

Whoever Karl was, he had to be at the nightclub. The question was, why was he card in that apartment, and what was his connection to Mikhail.

Webb memorized the address in his mind and closed the laptop. Answers would come in due time.

So long as Miller didn't find out.

* * *

It took Sedusky longer then normal to get across town back to the office. Police and other emergency personal where speeding over to the fire, followed by an army of news reporters and media. It had been a living hell, but he had made it in one piece.

"What took you?" Cecile asked as he arrived at his desk, her arms crossed. "And what the hell happened at that apartment?"

Sedusky sighed."Its a long story."

"One that you'll tell me?"

Sedusky smiled. "Eventually. But firsts things first. What did you want to tell me?"

"Well, you know those finger prints we found on that card?" Cecile started.

Sedusky rolled his eyes. "Yes, the ones that were probably Mikhail's killers, yes I know. What did you find out?"

"Remember those four names of the USSA members?" Cecile asked. "The ones they heard on the camera."

"Miller, Williams, Beckett, Webb." Sedusky repeated, having looked at them more then once. "Ya, what about them."

"Well, these are who's finger prints we found." Cecile said, tossing a file on his desk. "Stephan got this from the FBI's records."

Sedusky opened the file and stared at the name, not believing his eyes.

"Webb?" Sedusky asked, looking at the name on the file. "Those were his fingerprints."

Cecile nodded. "His name is Matthew Lawrence Webb, Age 19. Declared missing a few days after the American Invasion. Born in New York. No criminal history."

"An American..." Sedusky said, looking over the file.

"No doubt the same one at the attack." Cecile said. "And the same person working with Miller."

"Which makes him our ticket to Miller." Sedusky said to himself. "And the Patriot."

"So it would seem." Cecile said. "But why would he kill Mikhail?"

Sedusky shook his head. "Who knows. There could be a variety of reasons."

He looked at the blond haired youth in the picture, looking at his blue eyes. _"Matthew Lawrence Webb...A member of the USSA..."_

"Tell the police to keep a look out for Webb." Sedusky ordered, closing the file. "He's the lead we've been looking for."

"Okay." Cecile replied, taking the file. "Then what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to figure out who this Karl is." Sedusky said, looking at the card. "And most likely find Webb in the process.."

* * *

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	28. Slowly Getting Closer

Makarov reached the final step and braced himself against the wall, taking a breather from the constant running and sprinting he had just endured. The jump and explosion was one thing to endure, but it was a completely different thing having to outrun nearly half of the city's police, for nearly an hour without rest or a break.

He wasn't much one for running, or jumping. Both were bothersome to him and overall, pointless. He would formulate another plan that would work around that factor then spend running. Anything to avoid a sprint.

But it was a plan conceived on the fly, and one that had gotten him, and Anatoly both safely out of a serious bind and back out of harms way. Things hadn't gone exactly to plan, and now he was back to square one, with no leads and now more police on his tail. Two steps forward, and two steps back. Just a waste of time.

Anatoly reached the apartment door and immediately knocked against the wood, completing a five knock pattern. There was a small pause before Victor answered, actually surprised to see Makarov with him.

"Makarov?" Victor asked, looking back between the two in confusion. "What are you two-

"Just let me in..." Anatoly said weakly, moving past Victor and into the safety of the apartment room. Victor just gave him a look before turning back to Makarov.

"What's wrong with him?" Vcitor asked.

"Its a long story." Makarov explained, proceeding inside the apartment. "I'd be happy to tell you once I catch my breath."

Makarov stepped into the narrow hallway and Victor closed the door behind him, securing the locks that were bolted onto the side of the door.

Makarov walked past two room before proceeding into the main living room of the apartment. The place was located just on the outskirts of the industrial district, a poor neighbor hood that rivaled even Moscow's poverty district. But it was just the place that was perfect for Anatoly and Victor to live, as well as Elena.

The place was simple, but it provided enough space for five people to live with minimal difficulties, so long as they were comfortable with each other. The apartment had all the basic utilities, as well as a T.V, desk, and basic furniture. The only thing that seemed to be out of place was Anatoly's laptop, which sat on a desk in the far end of the living room. The piece of technology was the very thing that had allowed them to monitor the police, as well as find the lead about Locke. It was an invaluable tool, and Anatoly couldn't have been the better person to use it. He was the only one who actually knew how to use it.

But even with a secure residence and advance technology, it would all prove useless if the police were to ever discovered them, and with the new realization that someone had figured out that they were monitoring the police, he knew that it would be a matter of time when they were knocking at the door, if they were careless...

"So what happened?" Victor asked as Makarov reached into his pocket for his cigarettes. "Did you find Locke?"

"Not exactly." Makarov replied, lighting the cigarette and sitting in an open chair. "There were some minor difficulties..."

Anatoly laughed weakly. "Ya...'Difficulties.."

"What kind of 'difficulties'?"

The trio turned to see the familiar figure of Elena Zakhaev, standing by the hallway, holding a small rubix cube in her hand and wearing her same boring bland expression.

"Wait, let me guess..." Elena said, putting a finger to her mouth. "You didn't find Locke?..."

Makarov narrowed her eyes at the young girl. "Very observant. Care to elaborate on that further?"

Elena nodded. "Judging by your tired state from having to run, and your anger slowly rising, I'm going to guess, and this is just a wild guess, that you ran into the police?"

Makarov nodded slowly, his anger beginning to rise. "You never fail to amaze me... Tell me, do you like having your bones broken?"

Elena shrugged. "Threaten me all you want, it doesn't change that fact that you were outsmarted at your own game. If your going to cry because you got beat, maybe you need to find a new calling..."

Makarov was beginning to get more and more angry with every word she said. He had just ran and evaded the police for nearly an hour, and after finally reaching safety, he had to deal with Elena's smug and sarcasm, which was enough to set him off when he was calm. The girl's attitude was one he despised, and one he had already grown sick off. And this situation wasn't helping their partnership.

"Why don't you try avoiding the police and then you tell me how it feels..." Makarov countered, glaring at her. "It would do you some good, considering all you ever do is play with your god damn puzzle cube."

Elena gave a small smile. "Well, in all fairness, I did warn you..."

"Warn me?"

Elena raised her eyebrow. "Don't you remember our little conversation in the library?"

Makarov loosened his grip on the his seat. "Ellien Lelend..."

Elena nodded in reply. "Bingo."

"She knew I was monitoring the police." Makarov said, remembering talking to her over the phone. "She knew I was looking for the Patriot, and knew I would go to the apartment. And I'm sure she know doubt knows who 'Yuri Vasily' really is."

"Yes, I would expect that..."

Makarov closed his eyes and took another breath of smoke from his cigarette. _"If she was able to figure out all this on her own and has access to the Police and FSB, then she's definitely a threat. One that needs to be taken care of immediately before she causes more problems..." _

His eyes reopened and they narrowed at Elena. "You said you knew her."

"Yes..." Elena started. "I did..."

"How?" Makarov demanded. "Where did you know her?"

Elena gave Makarov a reluctant look. "You really want to know?"

"I want to know everything you know about her." Makarov repeated, still waiting expectantly for an answer.

There was a long pause as Elena took her time, thinking up her answer. Every second she took caused Makarov to slowly get angrier and angrier. Finally, after what seemed like a minute, she gave her answer.

"No." She replied flatly, looking to her rubix cube.

"What did you say!" Makarov yelled, getting out of his chair. Anatoly slowly sunk deeper into his and Victor quietly turned away.

"I said-

"I know what you said Goddamn it!" Makarov shouted in anger. "And no is not the right answer!"

"It is now." Elena said, turning away and beginning to walk away.

Makarov fists griped tightly. "I swear-

"Maybe when I do give you advice, you'll take it with a grain of salt." Elena replied simply. "Maybe next time you'll be more appreciative."

"Fine." Makarov spat, glaring at her. "I don't need your help killing one person. I can do this by myself."

Elena gave a small laugh. "Whatever..."

Makarov watched as she went to the nearby door leading to her room, and she was soon out of sight. He shook his head and sat down at the desk in the living room.

_"It doesn't matter anyway...Either way, Ellien Lelend will be dead in the end...And that's all that matters..."_

Makarov turned over to Anatoly, who was sitting next to his computer.

"Anatoly, bring up all records on the current number of police and FSB currently in Moscow." Makarov ordered. "We need to find out how much this woman knows..."

* * *

It took them nearly the rest of the day to figure out who and where Ellien Lelend was. Makarov retold of what had happened, as well as how they had escaped. Victor only nodded as he listened, while Elena stared up at the ceiling, seemingly focused on something else in her only world.

They had checked over the Police and FSB database, but no one with the name Ellien Lelend was registered or had been registered. Nothing came up.

Makarov first thought was that she had given him a false name or alias, but he quickly dismissed that notion. There was no point in trying to confuse or trick someone who you were going to arrest in just seconds. That is, until he had escaped.

Then he tried to remember if Vorshevsky or Carpathia had mentioned her to him once when he was in the Ultranationalist party. But nothing came in to play, he had never heard the name before. Not even Zakhaev mentioned her. But then again, he never mentioned he had two children as well...

It was safe to assume that Ellien knew people and had connections in the Ultranationalist party, but he didn't think she was an Ultranationalist herself. Based on what he had heard over the phone, she was some sort of private detective or mercenary that even Carpathina and Vorshevsky trusted. Trusted enough to give her power over the police and FSB.

There was no doubt about it. She was in Moscow. She had connections to Carpathia and Vorshevsky. She finally and most importantly,' she had figured out what he was doing and most likely knew about 'Yuri Vasily'.

There was only one option left. This problem had to be dealt with immediately. And permanently.

Makarov turned over to Anatoly. "Is Carpathia making any public announcements to the public in the near future?"

"Let me check." Anatoly replied, tapping over his computer. "Yes, hes due to make a public address in exactly three days at Pushkin square. Why?"

Makarov just closed his eyes and calmly smiled. "Because I think I know when and where Ellien Lelend will be..."

_"And when and where she'll die..."_

* * *

Sedusky trudged along the hotel hallway, fatigued from another long day of work. He was expecting to take care of some other matters after he got off, but a certain individual just had to call him before he got himself home.

He raised his hand and knocked on the solid oak, already not wanting to speak to Ellien. He was supposed to be investigating Matthew Webb right now, and instead he was stuck here.

The door open and the elderly figure that was Jaufrei greeted him with a polite but warm smile and led him inside. Sedusky walked in and found Ellien sitting in a chair, just staring outside the room's window, watching the sunset.

"Ellien?" Sedusky asked, starting towards her. "You wanted to see me?"

She quietly nodded. "Yes, I did. Please have a seat."

Sedusky complied ad took the chair next to hers, looking out at the Moscow skyline. The tops of the buildings were all golden yellow, lit up and highlighted by the setting sun.

"There have been some setbacks to this investigation Inspector Sedusky." Ellien said, looking outside the window. "Pieces moved in places that didn't have the needed effect."

Sedusky sighed. "Look, if your trying to apologize for what happened earlier-

"Not at all." Ellien said swiftly. "I'm simply stating the facts. And the fact is that we have gotten know where."

Ellien closed her eyes. "I believe we need to take this investigation to the next stage, and that's what I've called you hear to."

Sedusky nodded. "Goon..."

"I've worked on this case no for only a week, and its apparent to me now that the way we are operating is very inefficient. Meetings at hotels at late hours don't help anyone's work production."

Sedusky nodded. _"Thank you..."_

"Therefor, in part of Potentate Carpathia's support, I have come to you with an offer, one that I'm sure you will consider."

Sedusky raised his eyebrow in question. "An offer? What kind of offer?"

"A job offer to be exact." Ellien explained. "One that has you working under me. Working separate from the offices where you are located now."

Sedusky narrowed his eyes. "So I would be working for you. For Carpathia?"

"For me, yes. But for Carpathia no." Ellien replied. "Trust me, I wouldn't even want to be in the same room as the man, let alone work for him?"

"Yet this is from his support?"

Ellien nodded. "All he is giving me is command over the police and FSB anytime I need or choose, without even being an active member or either."

Sedusky shook his head. "That's a lot of power for one person."

"Exactly, which is why I want you to help me."

Sedusky took a moment to consider his options. For now, the Patriot and Makarov were still one the loose, and it seemed he and Ellien were the only two to have gotten any solid leads. If him and her were able to work together with those resources at their fingertips, there's no telling what they could do. It really was a good offer.

"Do I get the same pay as what I'm having now?" Sedusky asked.

"You get that and more." Ellien replied. "But I know your not interested in the money. You just want justice just like me."

Sedusky sighed and smiled. "Fine. I'll accept your offer. On one condition."

"Which is?"

"That Lieutenant Kowalski comes and works along with me." Sedusky said. "I won't make any exceptions."

Ellien paused before giving a nod. "Yes, I guess we can make that arrangement. In fact, I think that it would be good to have another member. Besides, your not the only one who i want to have work with me, so consider it done.

Sedusky gave a puzzled look. "Not the only one?"

Ellien nodded. "Yes, I'm going to offer the same thing to Agent Obreiski, since he's here on behalf of the United States investigating the Patriot. But that can wait.

Sedusky nodded. "Alright.."

"Also, I understand you found a USSA member..."

Sedusky gave her a surprised looked, stunned she knew about that. She just calmly continued.

"Whatever your doing, make sure your careful." Ellien said, staring out the window. "Your no good to me dead."

Sedusky gave a nervous smile. "Thanks for that comforting statement."

Ellien gave a rare smile. "Happy to help."

"So what are you going to do for the time being?" Sedusky asked as he got up.

Ellien closed her eyes. "I think I'll be meeting Vladimir Makarov very soon now..."

* * *

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	29. Yellow Lust

wThe sunlight from outside was slowly setting as Webb continued to stare up at the ceiling, still repeating the same words over and over through his head.

Karl. Yellow Lust. These could be the keys to finding the Patriot. These could unlock everything. They could give someone a lead, a start. A path that could lead them to the Patriot. If they found the connection, that is.

However, there was no way either him or Clay could get out and investigate, due to the fact Miller had everyone on lock down. There was no way anyone would be getting in or out while he was around. The only thing Webb could do was sit. And wait until the opportunity rose where there could be no chance of a beating. And he would make sure there was no chance. Zero.

"So the lead were looking for is at a nightclub?" Clay asked, laying on the couch across him, also staring up at the ceiling.

"Appears so." Webb replied, laying on the other sofa. "Whatever connection there is, that seems to be the mystery."

Clay closed his eyes and smiled. "Well, I couldn't think of a more perfect place to look..."

Webb rolled his eyes. "Just remember what were really there for. If we ever go there..."

"Go where?"

Webb froze and Clay nearly fell off the couch at the sound of Chloe's voice. Webb slowly turned to see her staring down at them, her hands on her hips.

"What?" Clay asked, trying to avoid her cold stare.

"You heard me." Chloe said, still staring at them. "Go where?"

"We were just talking about home." Webb lied swiftly. "About what we're going to do after all this?"

Chloe slowly nodded, still skeptical. "Uh-huh...And what exactly are you two 'looking' for?"

Webb quickly thought of something before Clay stuttered out something stupid and unbelievable.

"Happiness." Webb quickly said, not caring how corny or stupid he sounded. It was better then her finding out.

Chloe slanted an eyebrow. "Happiness? So are you two in a poetry club now?"

"Yes." Webb replied, jokingly playing along. "Do you want to join?"

"I'll pass." She replied. "I'm not much of a poet."

"Too bad..." Webb said, silently letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. _"Dammit, that was close..."_

"Well in case you want to invite me into your other knitting circles or other 'manly' groups you intend to start, lets just assume I won't be interested."

Webb smiled and nodded. "Gotcha."

_"Need to make sure to have a backup story in case this were to happen with Miller...He can be more difficult to fool..."_ Webb thought to himself, closing his eyes.

As almost as if he had been summoned by Webb, another set of footsteps appeared in the living room. Webb sat up to see Miller walk in, a somewhat annoyed look on his face.

He just stood quietly as Webb and the others waited, expecting him to speak. Miller took a deep breath and sighed, something Webb was amazed to see.

"Due to the recent dull of events, as well as to prepare for the next operation..." Miller said, seemingly every word causing him pain. "...our squad has been put on temporary leave by the Patriot until further notice..."

A bolt went through Webb, already loving every bit Miller had just said. This was exactly what he needed. What him and Clay needed. Just perfect. Perfect.

"Therefor, anyone is free to leave so long as they give the time frame they well be back." Miller said, glaring at them. "But there is one exception..."

His eyes narrowed on Webb and Clay. "If anyone of you are drunk, beaten, or draw any attention to yourself, I guarantee that place will not be your safe haven...Are we clear?"

Webb nodded. "Yes sir."

"Understood."

"Crystal clear sir." Clay said, giving a small salute.

Miller rolled his eyes then nodded. "Then do me a favor and get out of my sight if your going to leave."

Webb looked out of the corner of his eye at Clay, and he did the same as well. Even without speaking, they both knew what was on their minds.

"Say Clay, you want to go take a walk?" Webb said, getting up off the couch.

Clay nodded and smiled. "Sure. I'm game."

Webb nodded in reply. "Cool. Lets go."

"Going to brainstorm your poetry ideas?" Chloe said, watching them head for the door.

Webb just smiled and nodded before heading for the door.. "Sure."

* * *

There were lines upon lines of cars as Sedusky battled through traffic, trying to get from one end of the city to the other. Even at such late hours, people were still in gridlock, fighting from street to street, light to light. And he was right in the middle of it.

Sedusky gripped his steering wheel in frustration as another car went passed him.

_"I don't have time for this...Out of all the times to be stuck in traffic..."_

It was bad enough to be stuck in this, but even worse knowing that the only lead that he had would be gone forever if he didn't make a red light or pass the right car. He wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away that easy.

He gunned the throttle as soon as an open space ahead of him opened up, causing three other cars to honk their horns in anger. Sedusky just ignored it and sighed.

He still had a long way to go before he reached the nightclub. He was already worried that Matthew would already be long gone before he ever even get there, and all because of this stupid traffic.

He reached over to the passenger side seat and pulled out Matthew's file he had on hand. He hand blond hair and clear blue eyes. It was hard to believe that he was a member of a terrorist organization. The kid had to be only 19 from his picture, not even old enough to drink, let alone be a killer. But the fact was his prints were found at a homicide scene, and young or not, it was only safe to assume he was a murderer. And dangerous.

Sedusky looked down at his pistol sitting on the passenger seat. He wouldn't be comfortable defending himself against Webb if it came to it. The aspect of shooting someone so young made him sick. It made him even sicker that someone so young could be a murderer.

He just shook it off and continued to drive. If it came down to that, then he would have no choice. He would do all he could to take Matthew alive, but nothing was guaranteed to go to plan exactly. He would just do his best.

He stomped his foot down on the accelerator and sped up, passing cars and speeding down the street.

_"There would be no way he would get away because of traffic, that's for damn sure..."

* * *

_

The entire hallway was illuminated was golden light, with people conversing and drinking inside it. At the end of the hallway, the room opened up to a large expanse, which Webb could only see flashing lights and hear music, with a crowd people dancing underneath the countless yellow and white lights. A bar sat along the far side of the room, with dancers dancing above on a stage above it.

Webb narrowed his eyes. _"Right..Time to get to work..."_

Clay clapped his hands together and a small smirk appeared across his face. "Right! Time to get to work!"

Webb raised his eyebrow. "Why do I have a feeling your idea of work is different from mine?"

"I'm sure its just a feeling." Clay replied as he started down the golden lit hallway, heading for the crowd of people. Webb just sighed and followed suit.

If Clay wasn't going to help out, fine. Actually, it might be to his advantage. Two people snooping around would draw more attention then one, plus it would help him blend in more and stand out less with someone with him. He could just say he got lost and was looking for Clay if someone questioned for him. After all, no one knew who he and Clay really were, so long as they, or Clay didn't say anything stupid.

They continued, weaving in and out passed all the dancers, trying not to be taken out by a stray arm or leg. They continued until they finally reached the bar sitting on the other side. They both picked two stools and sat up on the bar.

Webb scanned the area around him. _"Whoever Karl is obviously has something to do with this place...The question is, what..."_

"Oi! Bartender!"

Webb looked to see Clay wave down the bartender and motion her over.

"Yes?" The barter asked.

Clay slapped a ruble bill on the bar. "Tequila lime with coke please, shaken and on the rocks."

The bartender took the the money and went off to go prepare the drink. Webb just shook his head. _"I should have known..."_

"Are you going to get something?" Clay asked, a small sneer on his face. "Oh wait! I forgot...Your just a baby..."

"I don't drink anyway." Webb replied, still looking around the club.

Clay snorted. "Ya, cause your just a little tyke..."

The bartender returned with with Clay's drink, and a glow came over his face.

"Here you are sir." She said, sliding him the beverage.

Clay winked. "Thank you miss...When are you off.

She rolled her eyes and held up her hand, showing on ring on her finger.

"Taken." She replied. "So sorry..."

"Do you know a 'Karl' around here?" Webb asked, still focused on his work. "Anyone come in here by that name?"

She paused for a moment. "Well, there's Karl Renko, if that's who your talking about."

"Do you know him?"

"I should know him." She replied. "He's kinda my boss."

Webb eyes narrowed. _"So he runs the place..."_

"You know where he is?" Webb asked.

The bartender pointed to a corner across the dance floor. Situated inside were gold colored sofas and chairs. There were half a dozen young girls, all giggling and smiling to themselves. And at the center of them all, was a man wearing a white button up shirt, talking and laughing with all of them.

"That would be him." She said. "Why do you ask?"

Webb just smiled. "Just curious."

She gave him a slight nod before going back to her business. Webb closed his eyes and began to asses the new situation.

_"This just made things a lot harder...Still, there has to be someway to this..."_

Webb looked across at the man sitting on the couch in the small lounge. Simply asking him was out of the question, there was no chance in hell he would ever even talk to a nobody like himself. A different approach would have to be taken.

Webb put his hand in his pocket and felt his pistol around his grip. _"Beat the info out of him?...Tempting...But also out of the question...With all the security around here I would only be drawing attention to myself and Clay. We wouldn't stand a chance..."_

"I see what your staring at over there."

Webb glanced over to see Clay looking over at him, a small devilish smirk on his face.

"Excuse me?" Webb asked, giving him a puzzled look.

"Don't try and deny it." Clay said, taking another drink. "I saw you eying that brunette over there."

Clay pointed to one of the girls sitting next to Karl. She was twirling her hair and staring off into space.

Webb just rolled his eyes. "She a call girl Clay. He probably owns everyone of them."

"So?"

"So that doesn't make her available!" Webb hissed, glaring at Clay. "She's his property, basically part of the damn club! Besides, were not here to hook up or-"

Webb stopped himself, an idea suddenly appearing in his head. He didn't have to speak directly to Karl Davidenko. He just had to get into his office. After all, that's were his files would be, and he already had a plan to get in.

He got of the stool and started to walk to the dance floor. "I'll be right back!"

"Were are you even going?" Clay asked, staring in confusion. Webb said nothing and continued towards the dance floor, already formulating a plan.

If he couldn't talk to the man, fine. If he couldn't threaten him, fine. If he couldn't break in, fine. He would just do a different approach. A very unique but equally effective approach. Risky and hard, but if pulled off successfully, would get him exactly what he needed.

Webb weaved in through the crowd of people, positioning himself inside the mosh pit but still in sight of Karl and his call girls. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He hadn't grown up in an environment full of high school flirts or couples. Being schooled in an all boys private school, the 'art' of flirting with girls was something unfamiliar with him. And so was dancing. Sure, there were balls and galas run between the private boy and girl schools, but nothing like this. This entire thing was a whole different world to him, something out of his element. But this was the only way, and he wasn't about to go away empty handed.

Webb loosened his tie and began to dance. Rather, he just copied what everyone else was doing. Jumping around, having a good time, just enjoying themselves. It was uncomfortable for him trying to fit in, but eventually, he fell in step and began to look just like one of the dozens of people partying on the dance floor. He was even starting to enjoy himself, smiling and having a good time. He listened to the music, and danced to the beat.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye towards the call girls sitting around the nightclub manager. His eye caught the gaze of the brunette Clay had teased him about. He briefly met her stare, and she met his. He gave a casual smile and a slight nod. Her eyes narrowed and a slight smile appeared across her face. Webb turned his back and continued to dance.

_"Its working..." _Webb thought to himself. _"If this really pays off..."_

He looked over to the bar to see Clay, still taking shots of liquor and trying to flirt with the bartender. He hoped Clay didn't drink to much. He remembered Miller's warning for being drunk, and wasn't about to test his patience. Hopefully Clay would wise up and try not to either.

"Hey!"

Webb turned around to see the same attractive brunette call girl, standing behind him, smiling shyly.

"Hello." Webb greeted, giving a small wave and smile. "Enjoying yourself tonight?"

"You seem to be yourself." She replied. "Your a pretty good dancer."

Webb scratched his head. "I guess I'm a natural..."

"My name's Lynna." She said, introducing herself. "And you are?"

"Mattias." Webb answered. "Mattias Webenozsky."

Lynna grabbed his hand. "Well Mattias, you and I know how to have a good time, and I love to know more about you..."

"I do too..." Webb lied, keeping up his act. _"If there is one thing I hate, its these kinds of girls..."_

"Do you want to carry on the conversation in a bit more...private place?" Lynna said, glancing towards a set of stairs leading down to the offices. "I have special access to places other girls could never take you..."

Webb smirked. "Prove it."

She nodded and grabbed him by his hand, dragging him across the dance floor towards the private offices. Webb couldn't believe it had worked, but against all odds, he had pulled it off. Seduction wasn't something he was skilled in, but he must of had some knowledge in it. Or he just had dumb luck...

He took one last look over at Clay still sitting at the bar. He saw the girl dragging him by the hand and just gave Webb a thumbs up before he was led past the guard and down the stairs to the offices.

* * *

Sedusky walked down the golden hallway at his brisk pace, already beginning to get a headache from the overly loud music playing from the surround sound speakers. he had nothing against techno or whatever was playing, but there was a limit to what his ears could take. The sooner he found Matthew and got out of this place, the better.

He pushed through the crowd of dancers, looking around for Karl Renko, the nightclub's owner and manager. If he couldn't find Webb, then at least he could figure out if there was any connection.

He battled through the sea of people before he reached the long golden bar. A few couples were sitting at the bar, as well as a young man, who looked like he was on his fifth shot of the night.

"...And he said, there's no such thing as Santa, that's just a myth made up by the government!" The young man said, talking to the female bartender. "I mean seriously!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm considering calling security..." She muttered under her breath.

Sedusky took a seat next to the drunk man, and motioned the bartender over to him.

"What can I get you?" She asked.

"I need to speak to Karl Renko." Sedusky said, flashing his I.D.

"He in trouble?" She asked, looking at the police I.D in concern.

"Let's just say he's a subject of interest." Sedusky replied, putting his I.D away. "I'll just leave it at that."

She sighed and just shook her head. "He's over there in his private lounge."

Sedusky looked over to see a young adult man relaxing on a couch across the golden dance floor, with at least half a dozen younger girls surrounding him. Sedusky sighed, already despising what he would have to do next.

_"Let's just make this as quick as possible..."_ Sedusky thought as he walked across the dance floor. _"I don't need to be dealing trying to question drunks..."

* * *

_Webb was led hand in hand by her, passing door after door along a velvet carpeted hallway. She kept leading him, dragging him by the hand and smiling secretly to herself.

"I'll show you what a good time is..." Lynna said under her breath, continuing to pull Webb along.

Webb smirked, feeling the grip of his M9 inside his pant's pocket.

"So will I." Webb whispered into her ear.

The two reached the final door at the end of the hallway and Lynna inserted a key that hung around her neck. She tristed the knob and dragged Webb into the room in one swift motion.

The office was nothing Webb was expecting. The entire room was set in a dark yellow glow, with every piece of furniture complementing the color. He looked over to see Karl's desk, as well as his file cabinet. Just the thing he was looking for.

"Now then..." Lynna said, wrapping her arms around Webb's neck. "Where were we?"

Webb looked away and reached for his M9. "Right about here."

He flipped out his M9 and brought it across the girl's face, sending her to the ground and knocking her out instantly. She fell limp and was unconscious before she even knew what hit her.

Webb knelt down and looked over were he had hit her, making sure to take care of any cuts or any other injuries she had sustained. Apart from the unavoidable bruise that would follow, she would be fine.

"Sorry about that." Webb said. "But your looking for love in the wrong places."

He turned his attention from Lynna back to the oak desk. Whatever was in this desk, there had to be something that could provide a lead to finding the Patriot. There just had to be.

* * *

"Karl Renko?"

The nightclub owner looked up at Sedusky in question, as if he was amazed someone had disturbed him.

"The hell do you need?" Karl spat. "Do I look like a bartender?"

Sedusky wasted no time flashing his I.D and taking control of the situation.

"Inspector Sedusky." Sedusky said, showing his I.D. "We need to talk."

Karl just smiled and shook his head. "I don't think so. Your on my property, and unless you have a warrant, I'm not doing shit for you."

Sedusky narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"

Karl nodded. "Do you know I have the right to kick you out of here without just cause?"

"Do you know 'I' have the right to detain you for 48 hours without just cause?" Sedusky countered, narrowing his eyes at Karl.

Karl paused, glaring up at Sedusky. "I really watch your mouth..."

"We can have this conversation either in your office, or down at the police station." Sedusky said. "It's your choice."

Karl mumbled and reluctantly got himself to his feet, seemingly hating every moment of it.

"Follow me." Karl said, dusting himself off. "We'll go to my office."

* * *

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	30. Close Calls

Webb quickly looked over the many files in the desk, searching for something, anything that dealt with the USSA. Invoices, payments, letters, and business addresses, but nothing came up.

He was running out of time. It made him feel uneasy with every minute he spent in the office. There were too many variables that could screw everything up. The sooner he got out of here, the better.

Webb tried the file cabinet, but found it locked. He scanned the desk, trying to find a key, but nothing came up. He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his lockpick. The lock was simple and took him only a moment to pick and successfully unlock it. As he pulled open the file cabinet, his eyes instantly focused on the first folder.

It was sealed brown envelope, with the words 'confidential' marked on the front. It was opened before, but had recently been sealed, most likely by Karl.

Webb tucked the folder into his side and headed for the door. He would have time to look over it later. Right now, he wanted to get out out of the place as soon as possible. If he was to get caught now...

He took one last look at the still unconscious Lynna lying on the floor. He still hadn't figured what he would do with her after he had knocked her out. She wouldn't be a problem anymore. By the time anyone found her, he would be long gone. And he had told her a flase name, so there was no chance anyone would figure out it was actually him.

"See ya around." Webb said before proceeding out the door. Definitely no way he was coming back here again, especially after what he had done.

He had gotten what he had came for. No problems, a little improv here and there, but over all, very smooth. Now the only real challenge left would be getting Clay out of here.

Suddenly, the door at the far end of the hall opened, causing Webb to instinctively duck into the nearest room. Luckily, the door was unlocked, because there was no way he could have picked and gotten out of sight in time.

He kept the door open just a crack to see who was coming down the hall. He looked to see two men, both in what seemed to be a heated argument. One of the men he recognized as Karl, the club's owner. But the other man, he didn't recognize at all.

"I will be talking to my lawyer about this." Karl spat, walking briskly down the hall. "If you think you can just waltz in-

"Why are you so frustrated?" The other man replied. "So long as you comply to this investigation, you shouldn't have anything to-

"I shouldn't have to comply to anything!" Karl hissed, glaring at the other man. "You still haven't told me why your even here?"

"We'll have words in your office.; The man replied calmly. "After all, that's what you wanted."

Webb's grip tensed as he watched the two men walk pass his hiding place and towards the office. The office were the still unconscious Lynna was. Where he was only minutes before.

_"Dammit..." _Webb thought as they got closer to the office. _"If they open that door..."_

His hand gingerly touched the knob, and slowly began to open it. If he stayed here for too long, he was going to end up with a lot of explaining to do. Explaining that he wasn't prepared to do. It was time to get out of here. As soon as possible.

* * *

Sedusky watched as Karl proceeded to his office door, and pulled out a set of keys. He watched as the nightclub owner insert the key and turn lock. As he did it, he stopped and studied the knob carefully.

"Odd..." Karl said slowly. "Its unlocked..."

"So you forgot to lock it, big deal." Sedusky said, crossing his arms. "Come on, quit stalling."

Karl scowled and pushed the door open. He proceeded into the office and Sedusky followed in close behind him.

Suddenly, Karl stopped abruptly, staring at the floor in shock. Sedusky looked at the office floor, and his eyes flashed in surprise.

A young girl was laying on the ground, her arms sprawled across the carpet and her eyes closed. She wasn't moving an inch.

"What the hell?" Karl yelled, taking a step back.

Sedusky instantly drew his pistol. "Hands in the air, right now!"

Karl looked back between Sedusky and the floor. "I didn't do this, I-

"Put your hands on your head and turn around!" Sedusky ordered. "Now!"

Karl looked back between the fallen girl and Sedusky. He still was confused but complied, raising his arms in surrender. Sedusky carefully reached for his handcuffs and was about to subdue the man when something out of the corner of his eye cught his attention.

"What the?" Sedusky said, looking back behind him. He didn't see who it was, but he could have sworn that someone was behind him.

"Stay here." Sedusky ordered, carefully proceeding to the hallway. Someone else was here, he was certain.

Sedusky held his pistol out, drawn and ready to fire. He checked the area around the door before swiftly sweeping around and proceeding back into the hall.

He looked down the long corridor to see the door at the far end in the middle of being closed. He couldn't see the person himself, but he just caught only a second of the person's hair color: Blond.

_"Matthew!" _Sedusky thought, instantly remembering the young USSA member's profile. If it was really him...

He instantly sprung into action and sprinted down the hall. He couldn't let him get away, not if he was this close. There were so many answers, so many problems that needed to be solved.

He flung open the door and looked around. Matthew was no where to be seen. He quickly ran up the stairs back up to the dance floor and quickly scanned the area. There were so many people, and with the combination of flashing lights and music, finding anyone was an impossible task.

Whoever it was, Matthew Laurence Webb or not. Was already long gone and out of sight.

* * *

Webb looked behind his shoulder, checking to see if he was being followed or pursued. He was still breathing heavily from nearly getting caught by the two men. Way too close for comfort. Now he definitely wanted to find Clay and get the hell out of this place.

He quickly made his way back to the bar where he had left Clay, only instead, he found another problem.

"Clay, come on, let's get. Jesus..."

Nearly dozens of shots were scattered on the bar where Clay was seated. Clay himself was sound asleep on the bar, knocked out cold.

_"Great..."_ Webb thought, staring at Clay in utter disgrace. _"This is going to be fun to explain to Miller..."_

"Clay!" Webb shouted into his ear, shaking him. "Clay, get up!"

Clay instantly jerked up and nearly took out Webb in the process. He looked around drunkenly before his eyes focused on Webb.

"Oh hey Chloe..." Clay said, giving Webb a cheesy smile. "Did I ever tell you how sexy you look..."

"Clay, how much did you have?" Webb demanded, looking from him to the dozens of empty whiskey shots scattered on the bar.

"Oh, not that many Chlo'..." Clay said, slurring every word. "Only like one or twelve..."

"He had nine." The bartender said, handing Webb a slip of paper. "Here's his bill."

Webb eyes went from the number at the bottom of the bill to Clay's face. His eyes narrowed and glared at him.

_"God dammit Clay_..._"_ Webb thought to himself as he reluctantly reached for his wallet.

* * *

"I swear!" Karl yelled angerily, glaring at Webb. "I didn't do this!"

Sedusky ignored him and checked the girl's pulse. Apart from the bruise on her forehead, she would be fine.

"What the hell is she doing in your office?" Sedusky demanded, looking behind at Karl, now handcuffed and siting on the couch.

"She works here and has the keys!" Karl replied. "It's not the first time this has happen!"

"What, a girl in your office or an unconscious one?" Sedusky asked, glaring at the nightclub owner in disgust. This was just too much. If he hadn't shown up, Karl wouldn't have given her a second to recover.

"Lynna..." Sedusky said softly, ptting her head with a damp cloth. "Lynna, can you hear me?"

The girl slowly opened her eyes, looking at Sedusky in confusion. "What...What happened..."

"Just take it easy, you were knocked out." Sedusky assured her. "Do you remember anything?"

Lynna closed her eyes, and shook her head. "No...It's still really blurry..."

"Please Lynna, try to remember." Sedusky said. "Who was the last person you remember seeing?"

She paused, thinking hard. "A young guy, blond hair, no older then me..."

"Did you catch his name?" Sedusky asked, his heart racing. "Did he tell you his name?"

Surprisingly, she nodded. "Mattias. Mattias Webenozsky."

Sedusky eyes narrowed. _"So it was Matthew..."_

"An ambulance is on its way Lynna, so just lay down." Sedusky said, standing up.

He turned his attention back to Karl. "As for you, your under arrest."

"She just fucking said it wasn't me!" Karl yelled, glaring at Sedusky in anger.

"I still have questions." Sedusky replied simply. "And your going to answer them."

* * *

"Come on, sober up!" Webb said as he helped Clay along the street, holding his arm around his shoulder and helping him stumble along down the sidewalk outside the nightclub.

A rain drop fell on Webb's hair and his glared up at the night sky, feeling the slight patter of falling rain.

"Great, just perfect." Webb said sarcastically. "As if I have enough to deal with right now..."

"Chloe, you need to just lighten up..." Clay said in a drunken slur. "How about a drink?

"Taxi!" Webb shouted, hailing a nearby cab. As the car approach the curb, Webb opened the back door and helped Clay in.

"Take him to this address." Webb said, handing him a piece of paper as well as a roll of bills. "This should be enough to cover it."

"You not coming Chloe?" Clay asked, staring up at Webb in confusion.

"We'll go home separate, its less suspicious that way." Webb explained in a whisper. "I'll meet up with you later and try to sober up."

Webb slammed the taxi door shut and the driver dove off, leaving him in the rain. He closed his eyes and sighed, already thinking about the problems his would have with Miller. Hopefully Clay could clean up his act, but the odds weren't with him.

Still, he had gotten what he came for. Hopefully the information he stole from the office would keep him on the trail.

_"Well, it was hard to get...Better pay off..."_ Webb thought, feeling the envelope tucked inside his coat pocket. If this could be link to the Patriot, then it was good that this was in his position rather then the nightclub owner.

Webb opened his eyes and sighed. The rain was beginning to fall, and he didn't want to be soaked to the bone. The sooner he got back, the better.

As he walked, he noticed a figure out of the corner of his eyes. He quickly turned around to see who was following him, but the individual quickly ducked out of his sight.

Webb's eyes narrowed. _"Looks like a picked up a shadow... The question is, who is it?..."_

He turned around and shrugged, continuing down the street. _"Did someone see me walk out...Does someone know who I really am?..."_

Webb walked until he came to a crosswalk, where he stopped and waited for the light to change so he could cross. As he leaned against the street post, he looked out of the corner of his eye behind him, and saw someone standing on the sidewalk who hadn't been there a moment earlier.

A young woman with scarlet burnt hair was looking at her watch, watching him out of the corner of her dark burgundy eyes.

* * *

Anya Kosov stared just slightly at the blond haired American, just slightly enough to where he wouldn't notice.

"_So..._" Anya thought to herself, staring at her target._ "This is Matthew Webb..."_

* * *

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	31. Address

The alarm next to Makarov's bedside went off, taking him back from the dream world into the real world. His eyes opened and his breathed a deep breath as he stretched. It had been three days since his encounter with Ellien over the phone and the FSB at the apartment, and now he would finally be seeing Carpathia for the first time in over a year.

Today was his big speech to the public at Pushkin square, addressing the recent events and falsely assuring the public that they were save. More empty promises, ones that even he had once believed in.

Makarov knew Ellien had to be connected to the man, and would most likely be at the address. The first thing he would have to do is determine who she was without her knowing it. He hoped she would be announced her self and would save him the trouble. Step one: Knowing your opponent.

Next, after determining her identity, he would have Victor and Anatoly tail her, follow her every move and plot out her daily schedule, where she went, as well as what she did during the day. They would do this until they knew her exact schedule by heart. Step two: Recon.

After that, he would devise a plan that would allow him to kill her without attracting any towards him or Anatoly and Victor. This step would most likely be the hardest, but after knowing Ellien's patterns, not impossible. Step three: Planning.

Then after devising a plan, he would coordinate Victor, Anatoly, and Anya to find and eliminate her without anyone getting caught or killed. It didn't matter to him who pulled the trigger, so long as she was the one who got the receiving end of the bullet. Final Step: Execution.

Once she was out of the way for good, he could focus back on finding the Patriot, as well as his long term goal of killing President Vorshevsky. He still had plenty of time, and once Ellien was gone for good, things could get back on track.

Permanently.

* * *

"So, did you find anything else out?"

"No, thing important." Sedusky replied. "By the time I had gotten there, he had vanished before I could arrest him. But he was there, no doubt about it."

Ellien nodded. "Keep Mr. Renko under custody until we can safely determine he doesn't know anything that could help the investigation."

"And the girl?"

"She claims to have spoken to Webb, but I'm sure he didn't tell her anything important." Ellien replied, taking another sip of tea. "It would be a waste of resources to question her. I can safely say she doesn't know any more then what she's telling us. She has no reasons to hide information."

Sedusky nodded. "I'll call the hospital to tell her she's free to go then."

Ellien closed her eyes. "Also, I spoke to Agent Obreiski and Lieutenant Kowalski as well, and they we'll be working together with us from here on in."

Sedusky smiled. "Glad to here it."

"Yes, I suspected you would." Ellien said as she continued to drink her tea. "Also, I'm meeting Vladimir Makarov today as well."

Sedusky nearly dropped his cup of coffee. "What?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I say Makarov?" Ellien said casually. "My mistake. I meant Yuri Vasily."

Sedusky narrowed his eyes at Ellien. "What are you planning on exactly doing?"

"Just a test." Ellien replied simply, as if that alone explained everything to Sedusky. "Just more things I want to confirm."

"How do you know your looking in the right place?" Sedusky asked, crossing his arms. "I mean, he might still not be Makarov after all."

"If I determine he is, then we can have one less killer in the world." Ellien explained, looking at her nails. "And if I'm wrong, the the only thing I owe is a simple apology."

Ellien glanced up at the clock. "Jaufrei, the Potentate's is at 1:30, correct?"

Jaufrei nodded solemnly. "Yes madam."

"Then we best be on are way." Ellien said, standing up out of her chair. "Inspector Sedusky, until next time..."

"Wait, your going down there?" Sedusky asked. "Your going to confront him?"

"Confront is a strong word..." Ellien said, walking towards the door. "Like I said, I'm just going to meet the man, nothing more."

Sedusky sighed. "Why do I have a feeling its going to be more then that..."

Ellien raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean by that? You implying that I'm going on a date?"

Sedusky shook his head and raised his hands. "No! I'm just thinking you'll try something reckless!"

Ellien paused, putting a finger to her lips. "A date would be pretty reckless in it's self..."

Sedusky sighed and headed for the door, defeated. "Just please promise me not to provoke him..."

"I promise." Ellien said, walking towards the hotel hallway. "You have my word inspector.

* * *

The crowd was already growing by the minute as Makarov walked into the historic Puskin square. The entire square had been transformed and adapted for Carpathia's address. T.V and news reporters were all in close proximity, with just as much security as well.

But he wasn't here for Carpathia, at least not yet. While it would be interesting to see Carpathia again, he was here on much more pressing matters. Ones that needed his direct attention.

He had told Anatoly and Victor he would handle it by himself, and he knew Anya wouldn't be interested in helping him anyway. Besides, all he needed to do was identify Ellien. After that, they could handle the second step. But that would all come in due time.

People were beginning to find seats as Makarov scanned the crowd, trying to see if he could spot anyone important yet. If she was here, there was no doubt she would be by Carpathia. As soon as he appeared to give his address, Ellien would appear too. It was just a matter of time.

Makarov fell in behind the crowd and found a seat. Not to close, not to far away either. Just close enough to see everyone clearly.

_"Come on..." _Makarov thought to himself, waiting. _"Show your face..."

* * *

_

Sedusky wasn't the only one in his office staring up at the T.V waiting for Carpathia to give his speech. Nearly everyone had stop whatever they were doing to watch his address, and by the looks of it, even more had gathered at Pushkin square.

He could only imagine the public was no doubt getting anxious from the recent events. With the attacks, Patriot murders, and Makarov, things were beginning to fall out of hand.

Everyone was looking for answers, someone to tell them everything was going to be all right. Sedusky already knew that this was what this address was about. An attempt to calm the masses and regain control.

It would work for now, but the question was, for how long. If things kept up like it was, not even Carpathia would be able to control the city, and eventually, everything would dissolve into chaos. Just what the Patriot intended to happen. Just what they were trying to prevent.

His thought's were broken when the news caster began to speak.

"Potentate Carpathia will now be giving his address." The female caster said monotonously. Sedusky closed his eyes and sighed.

_"Just more lies to keep everyone happy..."

* * *

_"Citizens of Moscow attending and everyone else watching at home, thank you for coming to this address." Carpathia said, taking the stand. "Without further ado and delay, I will skip the formalities and get right to the heart of the matter."

Carpathia cleared his throat. "As you are aware, there has been a rise in violent crimes in the past months, as well as rumors related to these events."

"Some have been made to believe that the individual's behind the attacks are American's, fuel by hatred from the current conflict over seas."

"There are also rumors that these individuals also have connections to the U.S military." Carpathia continued, speaking swiftly and professionally without rest. "That these perpetrators are highly armed and dangerous, with advanced chemical weapons."

Carpathia closed his eyes and calmly smiled. "I am here to inform you today and give you comfort that these rumors are false."

Makarov listened as murmurs throughout the crowd. He was only half listening, as he well knew that they were lies anyway. He was more focused on trying to find Ellien.

He scanned the row of people sitting behind Carpathia's. All were aids and other important heads of state, some woman, but all well known. There was no way she could be one of them. So if she wasn't there, then where was she?...

"There are also rumors that known terrorist Vladimir Makarov has returned, and is also plotting against us." Carpathia said, causing Makarov ear's to perk up slightly.

Carpathia just smiled calmly once again. "Theres rumors are false as well. Vladimir Makarov is dead, and who ever is impersonating him, is simply trying to fool us into believing such a childish lie."

Makarov began to scan the area around Carpathia, trying to see if anyone else who might be Ellien could be spotted. T.V and news reporters had taken up residence all around the stage, but he couldn't see anyone who matched Ellien's description.

_"Were the hell is she?_" Makarov thought, silently looking around in confusion. _"I was sure she would be here...Was I wrong?..."_

As he continued to scan the crowd of people sitting around him, something just out of the corner of his left eye caught his attention. He only turned his head slightly to see what it was.

A slender woman wearing a black blouse and black pants was sitting just a row behind him. She had dark raven cut hair and piercing eyes. What really caught his eye was the fact that they were actually two colors. One blue, one green. Heterochromia. Just like him.

Her eyes weren't staying up at Carpathia like the rest of the hundreds of one lookers were. She was staring directly at him, not even blinking. Just carefully watching him.

_"Could it..."_ Makarov thought to himself_. "No she wouldn't...would she? Could this be Ellien?..."_

Makarov turned his gaze back from the woman to Carpathia. He still couldn't see anyone who might be Ellien up there. And he could still feel those eyes staring at him. Eyes that were just like his. Always watching, waiting for something.

* * *

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	32. Rivals

The crowd was already getting out of their chairs and beginning to disperse and fan out as soon as Carpathia finished his speech. Many could be heard speaking and talking among one another as they began to leave, while the media and news swarmed Carpathia with questions and concerns. Makarov didn't care about any of it. He was here not looking for answers, but for something else entirely, and he had been surprised himself by coming up short.

He was certain he could find Ellien here. In fact, he was almost positive he would find her. Based on her occupation, this was exactly the place she should have been. It didn't add up, she should have been here.

_"Where is she?..."_ Makarov thought as he began to walk away from the square, hands tucked in his pockets. _"She wasn't by Carpathia, and I couldn't find her anywhere around the VIP's...Maybe...She wasn't here after all?..."_

That would have been the most logical deduction for her not being present, but something didn't feel right. It mostly had to do with that woman with the discolored eyes he had briefly seen sitting behind him. Even though he had seen her for only a moment, he had her face memorized permanently in his mind. And that mas enough to get him thinking.

Maybe he was just getting paranoid, that any one could be Ellien, that his judgment was being clouded. The thought was still stuck on the back of his mind, but he had to look at the facts.

He didn't know if Ellien was here or not. He didn't know where she was now. And now, he had no idea if he had really saw her or not.

Makarov reached the edge of a bridge and leaned against the stone edge staring at the sun's bright reflection in the river flowing below. He reached for his cigarettes and gave himself a light. Smoking was one was of calming his nerves, as well as helping him think when in rare situations when he was stumped.

_"This changes things..."_ Makarov thought as he smoked, continuing to stare down at the river. _"If she really wasn't here, they we'll have to rethink and re-plan, take a step back..."_

"Some speech, no?"

Makarov was startled by the voice and surprised to see another person leaning against the stone edge, also staring at the river. What surprised him even more was the one fact that he hadn't been expecting, but still on his mind. It was that same woman who he had seen sitting behind him.

His eyes narrowed at her. _"Now what are you doing here?..."_

She sighed and stared down at the river. "It seems like the Potentate is only delaying the inevitable, don't you think?"

Makarov was taken back by her straightforwardness towards him. "Um, excuse me, are you speaking to me?"

Her unique eyes flashed on him. "Do you think I'm speaking to myself?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Makarov looked away. "No, I mean. I didn't-

"Its fine." She replied, looking away. "It's just that I'm curious, that's all..."

Makarov nodded and stared back down at the river. "Well, In my opinion, I have to side with you."

She nodded. "Go on..."

"It's an attempt to control the public through false promises, and though it may work for now, it will quickly fall apart if these events continue." Makarov continued, thinking about Carpathia's speech. "This will only end through action, and taking action to stop this. No amount of words can fix it."

There was a silence that hung between them as Makarov continued to watch the sky's reflection in the river below. He still didn't know this woman's name, or why she was asking these questions. If there was chance, even a small chance...

Makarov flicked his cigarette and watched it fall down to the water below. "Its only my opinion. I'm sure there are many who would disagree with me."

The woman closed her eyes. "No, its actually fact. And I agree with you completely."

Makarov gave her a surprised look. "Really?"

She nodded. "Based on the social status and position of Potentate Carpathia, it is only natural people would look to him for answers and comfort. And since he is an influential individual, it is only natural he would use that to convince everyone that things were in control, even in reality they are not. Doing this, he buys time to keep the people in order, but it is only a false security, because in reality, nothing has been done to confront the problem, and in turn only delay's the inevitable."

"Wow." Makarov said, impressed. "That's a much better answer then mine."

"A more detailed one." She corrected. "But the same one none the less."

Makarov closed his eyes and sighed. "It makes you wonder how many people really think about their leaders..."

"Well, we seem to have the same opinion." She replied. "And in my line of work, it's something that's good to have."

Makarov narrowed his eyes forward. He was still thinking about briefly catching stares with her, and looking for Ellien. Something wasn't right here. He didn't even know this woman, yet she was talking to him like they knew each other. And the strange thing was, it felt like she knew him for years. That's what caused him to think.

"So what exactly do you do?" Makarov asked, trying to figure out who she was. "What line of work do you do, Miss..."

There was silence as Makarov waited for her answer. Instead, she answered with a question.

"Can you keep a secret?" She asked, looking over at him. "It's just something small, if you don't mind that is."

_"Secret?..." _Makarov thought, thinking what she meant. _"What secret could she want to tell me, to someone she just met?..."_

Makarov closed his eyes and smiled calmly. "I don't mind if you tell me, I can keep a secret. Go right ahead."

There was more silence as Makarov waited, listening to the river below. Time and space around them seemed to stop as he waited, waiting for what her big secret was.

She suddenly brought herself inches from him and put her mouth to his ear and whispered into it.

"I just wanted to let you know, I'm Ellien Lelend."

* * *

As Webb walked along the street, he couldn't help but always feel like he was being watched. And he had a good reason for doing so.

The woman with burgundy eyes seemed to be always one step behind him, always following his every move. It had been the same song and dance ever since he had realized she had been following him.

He didn't know how to handle it, and he had already considered who she might be. First it was police, but he quickly dismissed it since there would be know way he would be freely walking the streets. If she was with the police, he would already be under arrest. It was a relief that he wasn't under watch, but it still didn't dismiss his worries.

The next thing he considered was she was a USSA member, being tasked to watch him from snooping around. But he too dismissed this idea as well, as there was no one Miller or anyone other then Clay to have any proof of what he had been doing. The most reckless think he had done was at that nightclub, and she must of already discovered him before that.

The only thing that left him was an unknown third party, one that he had somewhat of a idea what that group was, but not certain. Whoever she was, she was a hidden threat that needed to be taken care of one way or another. It was dangerous to him and the group if she stayed around him to much longer.

He glanced back behind him as he walked down the Moscow street. _"How the hell I'm I going to get anything done with her following me?..."_

Webb briefly studied the mysterious woman tailing him. She hard dark burgundy hair with dark eyes to match, which made her look attractively shy. He guessed she had to be about Chloe's age, so about seven to eight years older then him. She didn't looked armed or dangerous, just watching and observing. Quietly watching him.

Webb closed his eyes and sighed. _"I need to deal with her...One way or another..."

* * *

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	33. Worthy Opponent

Time around seemed to a complete halt, silence in the air as Makarov continued to stand in shock from she had just told him.

_"What?..." _Makarov thought, still stunned at what he had just heard. _"Why did she just tell me?..."_

He quickly tried to think of reasons why, why she would deliberately tell him her name. He tried to think of a reason, but found it hard to do so. He couldn't think properly, couldn't function as his normal self with 'her' watching him.

It was they way she looked at him. It actually unnerved him, something that happened only rarely. She wasn't just staring at him. She was examining him, studying him, looking for a sign, anything, even the smallest reaction. That was her plan, that what she was trying to" do.

He couldn't show her anything, give her anything. No sign. No reaction. Nothing. He couldn't act like Vladimir Makarov. He had to act like Yuri Vasily.

"Its uh..." Makarov started, giving Ellien a weird look. She was still right next to him, only inches away. If anything, the most natural reaction was to act a little strange around someone after doing that.

"Its nice to meet you." Makarov finally managed, presenting his hand. "My name's Yuri-

"Vasily." Ellien finished, ignoring Makarov's hand. "Mr. Yuri Vasily, professor of criminology at Moscow's state university."

"You know who I am?" Makarov asked, pretending to sound surprised. "You've listened to some of my lectures?"

"Not exactly." Ellien replied, breaking her stare and turning back towards the river. "You see, I've actually been tasked to watch you, and I've known about you for quite some time..."

"What?" Makarov said, still keeping a slight tone of surprise in his voice, but trying to hide his real feelings.

_"Why the hell is she telling me this?..._" Makarov thought to himself, trying to figure out what she was planning and keep a believing conversation at the same time. It didn't make any sense. She was telling him, the one person she suspected everything about her. If anything, it was the last thing she should do. That's what stumped him..

"Why exactly are you watching me?" Makarov demanded sternly. "What right do you have to spy on me? I haven't done anything,"

"That remains to be determined..." Ellien said quietly. "Until it does, you are still a prime suspect."

"Prime suspect?" Makarov repeated, giving her a bewildered look. "Look, I've already been questioned by the police for no reason and now I'm under watch by you? What reason do you have to stalk me?"

There was a slight pause before she answered.

"Because."

Makarov was struck dumbfounded. "Because. Because? That's it? Because?"

Ellien nodded. "Because."

"Because what?" Makarov demanded, beginning to get frustrated. "You must have a valid reason. Some cause for suspicion. Something, some reason that you would watch me!"

He was trying to test how much she really knew. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew he was Makarov, but she was trying to trick him into saying something, even the most smallest detail that would reveal and confirm it. But he wasn't that foolish. She wasn't just dealing with some thick skull thug. Lev wouldn't have lasted a second against her.

"If your under suspicion by me, then I have more then enough cause to be watching you." Ellien answered. "What that exactly that is, is really none of your business."

Makarov eyes narrowed. "If anything, it should be my business..."

"Then why don't I make it your job?" Ellien said, reaching into her pocket.

"My job?" Makarov repeated, now genuinely surprised. He was lost. Now this was the last thing he had expected. What was she trying to do? What was she trying to accomplish?

She answered him by handing a small white business card. Makarov took it with a confused look, and read the contents labeled an the card.

"Office of Special Investigations?" Makarov asked, looking and reading over the card.

"Its a special investigative body working separate from the police force." Ellien explained. "The OSI has been formed to deal and combat the recent attacks USSA and find the Patriot."

"USSA? Patriot?" Makarov asked, still acting clueless. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The USSA is a group of American radicals, ones responsible for the recent attacks and murders." Ellien explained without pause. "Their leader, The Patriot, is the head of the USSA, and is their current commander. American terrorists, one's Carpathia is trying to tell the public they don't exist."

"So you work for the OSI." Makarov said, piecing the information together. "And your job is finding and stopping this Patriot? What's this got to with me?"

Ellien closed her eyes and paused. "I want you as a member of the investigation team."

Now Makarov was honestly and overwhelmingly stunned. "What? Why?"

"Well, your a tutor in criminology, so you are more then well versed in the topic. Also, you posses a very rare talent. A talent that allows you to rapidly analyze and break down situations, one you have already demonstrated to me first hand."

"Why can't someone in the police help you?" Makarov asked, still trying to figure out what she was up to. "There has to be someone better suited and more experienced."

"The police are already shorthanded and overwhelmed with their problems." Ellien explained swiftly. "For now, the police aren't giving up their officers and detectives so freely. Besides, not just anyone can be in the OSI..."

"And why is that?"

"The OSI is not just any investigative body. It also functions as an active counter terrorism unit working in part with the FSB." Ellien explained. "Anytime, the OSI can use the FSB in their investigative operation."

"So your just a branch of the Federal Security Bureau?" Makarov asked, crossing his arms.

"No." Ellien replied. "Rather, we're an entirely separate organization, one that has complete jurisdiction over the FSB."

"So then you work for the Potentate?" Makarov asked. "He's the one who founded this? He has to if you have that kind of jurisdiction."

"Founded it. Funded it. Started it." Ellien said, staring off into space. "But he does not run it. In fact, he doesn't even pay attention to it. And in my opinion, this type of work is out of his league."

Makarov was once again surprised. While he expected Carpathia to be connected with her, he did not expect for her to be so hostile towards him. Whatever past or history she had with the man, it definitely wasn't a trusting or close one. From what he heard in Ellien's voice, it told him she hated the man as much as he did. Maybe even more then he did...

"So your the one in charge I presume?" Makarov asked, looking at the card given to him. "And your trying to recruit me?"

Ellien nodded. "That's basically it in a nutshell."

"What about my previous job?" Makarov asked, still keeping up a believable act. He couldn't be too eager, too quick. He had to be careful, for who knew what she was really planning in all this.

"Teachers and tutors are in abundance, while people like us are becoming scarce in a time where we are needed most." Ellien replied. "Any financial problems or other troubles can and will be easily compensated."

Makarov closed his eyes. "So you really want me to join..."

Ellien nodded. "Yes. Your talents can be put to good use. And besides, your still a suspect after all."

"And if I join, it allows you to keep a close eye on me while still working at a normal pace?" Makarov said, putting things into place in front of him. "And if I don't turn out to be the one your looking for, you still gain in me helping your investigation."

"You see, you break things down quite effectively." Ellien complemented. "You know what to look for, and know how to find it. Together, you can accomplish anything. Find anyone. Overcome anyone. Save anyone."

Makarov's eyes darkened._ "Save People...Save anyone...Nina..."  
_

"This is too sudden." Makarov said, still thinking what move he should make. "You and I just met, and now your giving me this momentous offer._"_

Ellien straightened herself up and began to walk away. "Give your answer in 24 hours. That's more then enough time for you to make a decision."

Makarov watched as Ellien calmly walked away, her back turned to him. He couldn't believe it. The one person looking for him, the one person he was so desperately trying to find and kill, just had a conversation with him, and was walking away without even taking a second notice at him.

He was still half stunned by just the way she talked to him. Every word she said, so direct, so swift, without pause or delay. She reminded him of Elena, seemingly in almost every aspect.

But Ellien was different. She seemed more focused, set on a goal rather then someone who constantly plays with a cube all day.

She was elegant, cunning, and as much as he hated to admit it, intelligent. Smarter the Carpathia. Maybe just as smart as Elena.

But she wasn't smarter then him. While Ellien might of had more resources at her fingertips, she still had rules she had to follow. Rules he didn't have to abide by. Ones that gave him the advantage. Ones that in the end, would allow him to have the upper hand.

But still didn't see the logic of Ellien's move. Why would she walk up and talk to him. Now that he figured out who she was, he could begin the next step of killing her. She even told him who she worked for.

_"It still doesn't make since...Why would she..."_

That's when it hit him. That's when he realized all the planning and conspiring he had done was all for nothing. Destroyed in an instant the moment Ellien Lelend talked to him...

* * *

The entire safehouse was silent as Webb approached his superior, his footsteps the only sound as he walked up to the sleek pale haired man sitting at the table.

"Sir, can I talk to you for a minute."

Nathaniel Miller looked up from his reading at Webb, raising an eyebrow and waiting.

"Yes?" Miller asked. "What do you need Matthew?"

"Um, we might have a problem..." Webb started, trying to figure out the best way to explain. He didn't want to get beat up just for reporting to his superior.

"What type of problem?" Miller asked, slowly putting down his book.

He took a breath. "I'm being watched..." Webb explained. "...A woman has been following me for the past three days now, and I don't know what her intentions are."

"And she knows where we are right now?" Miller shouted angrily, standing up out of his chair.

"No!" Webb said, now thinking about his physical safety. "She never follows me for more then three to four hours every day, and every time, she always vanishes and reappears, just like clockwork."

Webb took a deep breath and sighed. "Look, I know for sure she isn't police, or FSB. That I'm certain."

"Yet she tails you?" Miller asked, still skeptical. "And you don't know why?"

Webb shook his head. "No."

Miller's eyes narrowed. "Nevertheless, you do know what needs to be done, correct?"

Webb quietly nodded. "Yes."

"And you do know why?" Miller said, staring directly at Webb, seemingly staring into his soul.

"Because we're Patriots." Webb replied quietly. "And we have a war to fight..."

"And who is the enemy?"

Webb closed his eyes, already knowing the answer, even if it wasn't his own.

"Anyone who opposes the Patriot..."

"And what happens to the individuals who oppose the Patriot?" Miller asked, already knowing the answer to his own question before Webb spoke.

Webb reopened his eyes, now staring directly ahead. He knew what he had to do, he knew what would have to be done in order to maintain the group's cover. He was jeopardizing Clay, Chloe, and Miller's safety not dealing with this. The sooner the better.

"They are removed." Webb recited, looking directly into Miller's cold eyes. "Permanently."

Miller slid Webb's M9 across the table, sending the all to obvious message that was being said.

"You know what needs to be done." Miller said. "Don't let your country down..."

Webb took his pistol and quietly nodded. "Understood. I won't sir."

* * *

Makarov slowly opened the apartment door and slowly stepped inside. He hadn't said a single word since he left the square. He wasn't paying attention to anything or anyone around him. He was still thinking about Ellien. About what she had done. About what she had really planned along...

* * *

Sedusky looked up as he watched Ellien entered the hotel room. He was anxious to her from her. He had spent the past hours speaking to Jaufrei, listening to his stories and playing chess as they past the time. He had naturally asked about Ellien, about her background and past, but the old man didn't give up secrets easily. Jaufrei was loyal to her, and wouldn't tell Sedusky anything Ellien wouldn't.

But the man had told him about himself. He said that he was not only a servant and bodyguard to Ellien, but a person that she has relied on over the years. But that was all he could talk out of him, and their was still a hidden mystery two the pair, and more questions still unanswered.

"So, your back..." Sedusky started, watching Ellien walk over and sit down. "What happened?"

* * *

"Hey, your back!" Anatoly said as he notice Makarov enter, getting out of his computer chair. "So, how did it go?"

Makarov ignored him, glaring ahead at the person sitting in front of the window at a table his anger steadily rising. As he continued to walk, Victor looked up at him, a questionable look on his face.

"You find her?" Victor asked, watching him closely. "Can we finally kill her now?"

* * *

"Like I said before, I simply talked to him." Ellien replied, glancing over at Sedusky. "I tested some theories, as well as set the board."

"Set the board?" Sedusky asked, looking at Ellien in question.

* * *

Makarov ignored Victor as well. His anger was slowly raising as he neared the young girl sitting in front of the window, stacking Rubix cubes one after another in a large pyramid. Each one perfectly solved.

He stopped himself right next to her, staring at the floor. His fist clenched in anger, his hatred slowly rising the more time he was around her. She reminded him so much of her. The two were mirror images, both the same type of person. Just being around her made him think of Ellien...

* * *

"This is a game of chess." Ellien explained, glancing down at the chess board on the coffee table. "And I set the board in this long game."

"What did you exactly do." Sedusky asked, narrowing his eyes. "You didn't do anything to provoke him, did you?"

Ellien nodded and just smiled, picking up the white king off the chess board.

"Haven't you played chess Inspector Sedusky?" Ellien asked, studying the chess piece in her hand. "White always moves first."

* * *

Elena didn't look at him as he stopped. She just continue to solve the cube in her hand. It wasn't till after she solved it seconds later until she finally acknowledged him.

"So..." Elena started casually, putting the final cube on the pyramid. "Did you kill her yet?"

The entire room fell silent as everyone waited. Makarov closed his eyes, his fists now shaking in anger. This was it, this was the final straw.

* * *

"I simply made the first move." Ellien said, looking at the chess board. "It's only the beginning, but it's going to be a long game, and I'm sure 'Yuri Vasily' realizes that by now."

Her hand traveled to the black king and she held it up to her, studying it playfully.

"I'm sure Vladimir Makarov is realizing that now as well, and It's not what he wanted to find..."

* * *

"God Damn her!"

Makarov swung his arm into the pyramid of rubix cubes, causing them to fly in all directions around the room. Some shattered against the wall while others traveled to the far corners of the apartment room. Elena didn't even flinch at his action, she just continued to stare ahead.

Makarov fist slammed on the table. "That Bitch! I've never felt this frustrated in my life!"

Anatoly nearly fell off his chair by the sudden explosion of sound, and even Victor straightened in alert.

"M-Makarov what are you talking about?" Anatoly asked, staring at Makarov in fear. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I've should have foreseen this!" Makarov shouted, his hands gripping the table edge in anger. "How could I have been so fucking blind!"

"You didn't find her?" Anatoly asked.

"She found me!" Makarov snapped, glaring at Anatoly. "And now everything is ruined!"

"What are you talking about?" Anatoly asked. "If you saw her, then that means we can proceed to step two, and just kill her-

"I can't kill her you idiot!" Makarov snarled. "Not now, not after she talked to me!"

"If she were to be killed after speaking to me, it would be too obvious!" Makarov yelled, explaining in raging anger. "It's not because I can't kill her, it's now impossible to kill her, don't you fucking get it!"

Makarov closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Killing someone because you hate them, and killing them because you can't to are two different things Anatoly... Make sure you under stand that..."

* * *

"Anger would be his first reaction..." Ellien said to herself, studying the board. "Followed by frustration and hate..."

* * *

"She thinks she so smart, more intelligent..." Makarov spat, glaring at Elena. "She's just an arrogant spoiled bitch!"

* * *

"With contact being made, he has no choice but to accept my offer."

* * *

Makarov glared at Elena. "Now that she's destroyed my plans, I have no choice but to accept her offer."

* * *

Ellien gave a rare and sly smile. "He probably thinks that he can use this to his advantage..."

* * *

"She thinks she has me right where she wants me..." Makarov said, smirking slightly. "But I'm the one with the advantage here, not her..."

* * *

"He'll try to do what ever it takes to kill me Sedusky." Ellien said, glancing over at Sedusky. "A snake waiting for it's chance to strike..."

* * *

"I'll by my time, working along side her..." Makarov said. "I'll earn her trust, make her trust me until she no longer suspects me..."

* * *

"I'll watch him constantly, every move monitored." Ellien explained, holding up the Black king in front of her face. "And when he finally slips up, that's when I'll make my final move. And when that time finally comes..."

* * *

Makarov glanced over at Elena. "She'll make that final mistake Anatoly, and when she does..."

* * *

Sedusky watched as Ellien closed her multicolored eyes, a sly smirk on her face.

* * *

Makarov's eyes closed, a confident smirk across his face.

* * *

"Checkmate."

* * *

Rate/Review/Favorite

AN: That's going to be it for the updates now. Hope you enjoyed reading. Now it's back to work on my other projects. Leave a final review for the first thirty chapters or so. Thanks for reading.

-ReadyFireAimEmission


	34. Feline Fidelity

_Two weeks later..._

The light turned green and people were allowed to cross the intersection, hurrying across the street towards the other side. Vladimir Makarov walked calmly, studying the small laminated card in his hand. It was, to him, an I.D. It had his picture, his false name, and information corresponding to himself. But he couldn't help but wonder if it had a different meaning all together.

He still hadn't forgotten the conversation he had had with Ellien. She had been straightforward, non hesitant, and direct. Now he was being forced to work under her, always in her view and under close watch. But even though he had considered the negatives, he had also thought out the positives.

_"Working in the OSI would help me locate the Patriot faster..."_ Makarov thought as he continued to walk down the sidewalk, deep in thought. _"But then again, it puts me at a constant risk from 'her' as well. Not only that, but it restricts my movements..."_

He knew that he couldn't refuse Ellien's offer. That's why she had made it. She was trying to lure him into a trap, there was no doubt in his mind about that. But what she was planning, what she was up too was he greatest question. She had only given him a simple instruction after the day they had met to tell him were to be once he made the decision.

_"153 West Bohaten street off the corner of 2nd_._" _Ellien had said over a telephone. _"4:00 PM Sharp. An I.D will be sent to you tomorrow. Make sure not to lose it and don't be late..."_

Makarov stopped in the street and glanced up at the nearby street sign: 153 West Bohaten Street and 2nd.

He glanced down at his wrist watch and looked at the time. The hands were just on 4 o clock. He was exactly on time.

"3, 2, 1." Makarov said to himself, counting down the seconds. As his watch struck the hour, Makarov looked around, expecting Ellien to appear magically right in front of him. He stood in silence, waiting to see her make a clever entrance or sneak up behind him in an attempt to catch him off guard.

Seconds turned to tens of seconds. Then half a minute. Then a full minute. Makarov's eyes narrowed, getting more and more agitated as the seconds past by.

_"4:00 sharp..." _Makarov thought to himself. _"Those where your exact words..."_

He waited and waited. Still no sign of her. Makarov still didn't move. People were still walking by, passing glances at him, most likely wondering why a man was just standing in the middle of the sidewalk frozen and staring off into space. Finally, after ten minutes, Makarov's patience wore off and he finally had gave up.

"So much for being on time..." Makarov muttered to himself, walking to a nearby alley. He propped himself against the side of the alley, still in well view in case Ellien were to show up. Makarov was know beginning to wonder if she was being late on purpose just to annoy him. Well, at least that part was working.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He pulled a single one out and lit it, taking a long drag before exhaling a long cloud of pale smoke. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself and regain his patience. He was wasting his time standing here. He hated using his time for meaningless tasks, and this was definitely one of them.

Makarov reached into his pocket and pulled out his I.D Ellien had given to him. He read the title on the top: Office of Special Investigations, Yuri Vasily. Member Identification #7.

He closed his eyes and sighed. For once, he was actually wanting Ellien to find him, just so he could end this constant string of boredom. The longer he waited, the more sure that she was doing this on purpose.

_"You better have a good excuse for why your late once you get here..." _Makarov thought to himself. _"Cause your really going to need one if-_

A small meow came from his feet, causing Makarov eyes to flash open. He glanced down at his feet to see a jet black cat sitting at his feet. The feline had a slender build, and a single white spot on its face. The animal was small compared to other cats, and by the looks of it, was most likely a stray.

"Shoo." Makarov spat, glaring at the cat. It didn't move. Instead, it stared at him, not even blinking.

Makarov avoided it's gaze, continuing to smoke and trying to ignore it, hoping it would eventually go away or chase after some street rat. Finally nearly a minute of the constant staring, the cat finally moved, but not in the direction Makarov wanted it.

"What the-" Makarov started, looking down at his feet in surprise. The cat was rubbing against his leg, purring softly and scratching it's claws into his shoes. It's eyes were closed, seeming to love having something soft to rub up against.

"Get off me!" Makarov shouted, kicking his leg. The small cat flew off his leg, landing a short distance away. It gave a small yell as it flew, but landed safely on all fours. Makarov 's eyes narrowed as he glared at the cat, clenching his fists.

"Don't you have something better to do!" Makarov demanded, watching the cat stare at him. He waited to see what the feline would do, but it stood still, continuing to stare at him.

"Meow..." The cat said quietly, causing Makarov to sigh. He must be losing it. What the hell was he thinking, talking to a street cat? Was he really that bored by waiting for Ellien?

He turned his attention away from the feline and towards his I.D. Maybe there was something on the card that could tell him where Ellien was. Maybe this was just a test after all...

_"There isn't anything on this card that could help me at all..."_ Makarov thought to himself, studying the card. _"The only thing is the number 7, and that could me any-_

A black and white streak flashed across his hand and landed a few feet away from him. Makarov took a step back, stunned momentary by what had happened.

"The hell?" Makarov said, stunned. He looked at his hand to see his I.D was gone. As he realized this, he looked to see where the streak had gone, and found his answer as well as his I.D in the process.

The black cat was sitting feet away from him, his I.D in its mouth.

"How..." Makarov started, staring in confusion at the cat. "How did it..."

As soon as he said a word, the cat ran out of the alley and down the street, causing Makarov to tense up and stare in frozen horror. Out of all the things that could go wrong, he couldn't lose he I.D, not after Ellien had specifically told him to bring it. How the hell would he explain that?

"Hey! Come back here!" Makarov shouted, breaking off into a run out of the alley after the small cat. Out of all the things he could be doing right now, he was trying to catch a stray cat, all because it had somehow stolen something from him.

Makarov quickly scanned the street, trying to find where the cat had run off to. He looked across the sea of people, looking at their feet before he spotted the familiar black and white fuzzball. He instantly sprinted ahead, shoving people aside and trying to catch up with it before he lost it, as well as lost his I.D. Out of all the things...

"Hey, watch it!"

"What's the hurry, asshole?"

"Watch where your going!"

Makarov ignored the people that he ran into, only focusing on his target. The cat ran around the street corner, swiftly maneuvering through peoples legs. Makarov tried to match it's speed, but found it hard to do so with all the people around.

_"Dammit! If I can't catch it, there no telling what I'll don't catch this damn thing...Especially after Ellien told me not to lose my I.D..._"

The small cat ran down the sidewalk, approaching an intersection. The cat continued to run without pause, even with traffic in full force. As it ran through the intersection, cars stopped and tires screeched in an attempt to avoid the small animal. The cat ran under cars before crossing the street to the other side.

Makarov ran off the curb and sprinted across the intersection, beginning to pant heavily from the constant running. He had to think of something, fast. If the chase kept up for to much longer, then he would have to stop. Thinking and planning was he forte. Running, not his favorite activity. Nor was chasing after cats...

A car nearly ran into him as he ran across the intersection. The driver gave him the finger before honking his horn. Makarov just ignored him, his mind focused on catching the cat and getting his I.D back.

_"Every thing has a weakness...You just have to find out what that weakness is..."

* * *

_

Matthew Webb was enjoying his walk, listening to the cars past by as he continued down the sidewalk. Part of himself was enjoy the bit of fresh air. The other part, was secretly watching the shadow constantly tailing him. The mysterious dark scarlet hair girl was following him once again, now having followed him for nearly most of his day. He had chosen to walk around the city as part of his time off, and everywhere he went, she wasn't far behind.

He was still trying to deduce her. He had already ruled out the USSA member theory, as the police one had holes in it too. She was a mystery, one that he needed to solve if he were to ever continue looking for the Patriot, as well as follow the orders issued.

_"If she isn't in the USSA as well as part of the police..."_ Webb thought, looking out of the corner of his eye. _"Then the only option left would be..._-

His thought were interrupted by a black and white streak dashing underneath his feet. He barely had time to realize what had just run by him. He looked down the street to see a small cat running with something in its mouth. Nearly everyone on the sidewalk around it was watching it run, talking among one another about the strange sight.

"Weird cat..." Webb muttered, giving it a weird look. "Now I've seen everyt-

He was suddenly pushed out of the way suddenly by a man running at a fast pace, in the same direction that the cat was heading

"Hey watch it!"

Webb nearly fell backwards from the sudden near miss, and looked to see who had almost collided with him. A man in a dark hair was running after the cat, an annoyed and angry look on his face. Webb narrowed his eyes, almost certain he had seen that man before, but couldn't figure out where.

"Okay..." Webb said, confused. "Now I've seen everything..."

Webb glanced behind himself, looking at what the mysterious girl's reaction was to the unusual scene. She had confused but annoyed look on her face, one Webb couldn't figure out why. But then again there wasn't alot he knew about her to begin with...

"Just another day in Moscow..." Webb said to himself before resuming his stroll.

* * *

Anya Kosov stood dumbfounded at what she had just seen. _"That...No, that wasn't...Was it?"_

She squinted at the man running, staring at his head. He had the same height. Same weight. Same build. Same hair. But most importantly, same eyes...

It really was him. That was him. Vladimir Makarov. The man who she once followed for a time. She hadn't spoken to him much, nor wanted to. But against all odds, she had run into him, and in the most unlikeliest of circumstances.

The man she had followed, one she had looked up and thought was her only hope at freedom, was chasing a cat in Moscow.

"I can' t believe I actually took you seriously..." Anya said to herself, shaking her head in shame.

* * *

Makarov rounded the corner, following the cat down the alley way. The cat continued to run, easily keeping distance away from Makarov, but he smiled as he realized at where they where heading. A dead end.

A large fence stood ahead, causing the cat to stop. It turned around as Makarov calmly walked towards it, a confident smirk on his face. He bent down and snatched up the cat by the scruff of its neck forcefully.

"Checkmate." Makarov said victoriously, holding it in front of his face. "I win, now give me back-

Suddenly, a sharp pain hit the side of his face, causing him to drop the feline in reaction as the cat swiped its claws across his check. He clasped his cheek in pain and dropped the cat to the ground.

"Why you!" Makarov yelled, clenching his fists in anger. The cat quickly jumped onto a nearby dumpster and leaped over the fence, leaving Makarov in a state of rage and frustration. The cat bounded off and ran, leaving Makarov behind quickly.

Makarov quickly thought of a plan. He looked around him, trying to formulate a plan. With no choice but to turn around, he ran towards a nearby side alley, trying to find a way back to the small thief.

_"These alleys all run to a large bloc courtyard somewhere..."_ Makarov thought, running along the narrow passageway. _"If I can get there before it, then I can cut it off..."_

Makarov began to run faster then he thought he could. He was beginning to get tired. Winded, he still pressed on, using all of his remaining strength to reach his goal.

The alley opened up to a large courtyard and Makarov looked around, trying to spot the small feline. The only other alley was feet away from him, and he would have run into the cat by now. It only had one way to come, and that was towards him.

He waited, preparing himself for the right movement. He heard the small sound of footsteps, nearing closer as he listened for his target. As soon as he knew the timing would be perfect, he sprung into action.

The cat appeared out of the alley and Makarov leaped at first sight, diving on the small animal and tackling it to a stop. He rolled, his arms held tightly around the small fuzzball. The small cat tried to squirm away, but Makarov held it tight and firm, making it unable to move.

He rose to his feet, holding the feline by the furry scruff of it's neck once again. The cat attempted to claw Makarov once again, but he held the cat just out of its reach, rendering it's attack useless.

Makarov smirked and stared at his I.D in the cat's mouth. "Now, where were we...

"Yasily."

Makarov froze at the voice. He hadn't expected it at all. He knew it all too well, as well as the person it belong too. Out of all the times...

Makarov slowly turned his head, already knowing who he would see. The figure of Ellien Lelend was staring at him, a bored expression on her face, looking at him in awkward silence.

"What are you doing?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and staring between him and the cat. Makarov just stood frozen, trying to come up with an answer, but none came.

"U-Um...Well." Makarov started, glancing between her and the cat. "You see-

He slightly relaxed his grip on the cat, causing it to slip away and run away from him. He put his hand out to stop it, but it took off and ran to Ellien's leg, hiding behind it.

Ellien glanced down at the cat, now rubbing against her leg and purring loudly, just like it had done before with Makarov. Ellien bent down and scratched the small feline behind the ear, causing it to purr louder and rub against her gentle touch.

"Your a friendly one, aren't you?" Ellien said, letting the cat play with her hand. She rubbed it's belly, causing it to stretch out and purr. Ellien gave a small smile and turned her attention back up at Makarov.

"Your not a cat person, I take it Vasily..." Ellien said, noticing the scratch on his cheek.

Makarov rubbed his cheek and avoided her gaze. "Something like that."

Ellien picked up the small cat and held it in front of her, studying the feline. She crooked her neck to the right, and the cat did the same. She crooked it to the left, and the cat again mimicked her, almost like a mirror.

"A stray most likely." Ellien said, studying it. "Common around this neighbor hood."

"Where were you?" Makarov demanded, crossing his arms. "You were at least ten minutes late."

"I wasn't late." Ellien replied. "As I recall, only you had to be their at the specified time. I didn't. Besides, something came up and I needed to deal with it. Why didn't you stay put?"

Makarov glared at the cat. "Complications."

The cat hissed at Makarov, its eyes narrowed in small slits as it sat in Ellien's hands. Makarov just rolled his eyes. _"Not even worth my time..."_

Ellien shook her head and set the cat down next to her feet. The feline instantly began rubbing up against her legs again, purring like a motor. Ellien sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Well, at least I found you. Ready to get started?"

Makarov sighed and reluctantly nodded. "I'd be happy too."

Ellien nodded. "Oh, and one little thing."

She reached out and presented Makarov's I.D, the same one taken by the small feline.

"You'll need this." She said, handing it to him.

"Thanks..." Makarov said quietly, taking it without saying another word.

Ellien gave a small smile and glanced at the cat out of the corner of her eye. "Try not to lose it again. Okay Vasily?"

* * *

**AN**: Had this thing typed up along time ago but hadn't bothered to but it out there because of being busy. Just thought I finish this thing one chapter up so I could free up some space. Anyway, rate and write a review. Thanks.


	35. Office of Special Investigations

Makarov lost track off how many alleys he followed Ellien through, passing street corners and crosswalks as they proceeded through the maze of buildings that was downtown Moscow. Finally after at least a half an hour trek across the pavement, they finally reached their destination.

"What should I name it Vasily?" Ellien asked as they walked, petting the cat that she held in her arms.

"Your keeping it?" Makarov asked, a surprised look on his face.

"Why not?"

"Because it's a cat." Makarov stated, as if that was enough to force a decision. "Why do you need one?"

"I never had a pet before." Ellien replied, glancing down at the black feline curled in her arms. "And it's always nice to have a companion to help you."

Makarov silently rolled his eyes. _"More or less help others then most..."_

"We're here."

Makarov stopped and looked around at their destination. They stood in a large concrete bloc courtyard, similar to the one where they had met. Empty and secluded, and surrounded by buildings, the only thing prominent was a small maintenance building situated in the middle of the bloc.

Makarov studied the area. "This is it?"

"Follow me." Ellien said, walking towards the small maintenance building. Makarov followed without question, knowing what ever questions he had would most likely be answered automatically by whatever Ellien would do. As they approach the door, Ellien slid a small brass key into its lock, the door clicked open and Ellien walked in, Makarov following closely behind.

As they entered, it looked exactly what it seemed. A large fuse box was easily visible on the wall, with other circuits and utility mains running to and from the building into the ground. Every seemed like it should be.

"I hope this isn't one of your attempts at humor..." Makarov said, crossing his arms.

"Patience." Ellien said sharply. "Watch."

She reached for the fuse box and flipped a switch on the console. Suddenly, the metal grate that the two were standing on screeched and began to lower. Makarov looked down to see himself beginning to descend into the pavement underground.

"What the hell is this?" Makarov asked, surprised that they had been standing on an elevator the whole time.

"This is the OSI's headquarters." Ellien explained, standing perfectly still as she spoke. "This used to be a bunker for the Primer during the Cold War, but after the Soviet Union fell, it was stripped and forgotten. Now it serves as the investigation's base of operations, as well as it's command center, all thanks to the Potentate."

The elevator ride lasted close to two minutes before the elevator stopped and Ellien stepped off.

"Lights." She said. A long hallway suddenly appeared in front of them, illuminated by the dull blue halogen lights that sat overhead.

"Follow me Vasily." Ellien said, starting down the hallway. "Lets get you introduced."

* * *

Sedusky wasn't one for being underground, especially when you were claustrophobic or afraid of the ceilings crushing you. But the OSI headquarters felt just like his office. Better then his office in his opinion. Sure, everything was concrete and gray, giving it a dull but modern look. But at least there was enough light to make it seem like it was just a walk out the door to the street. Modern chairs, massive computer systems and monitors surrounded the room, with a clear glass table right in the middle of the main room. The only sound was the silent hum of the computers and the filtration system.

"Did she say when she was getting here?" Cecile asked, leaning back in her chair.

"No, she didn't, unfortunately." Sedusky said, staring off into space. Waiting was driving him up the wall. He almost saw himself as sort of a child. He didn't like to sit in one place for long, especially when whatever he was doing something boring or nothing at all.

"Well, she should have." Cecile said, crossing her arms. "It's not making me trust her anymore."

"Like I said before, she doesn't work for Carpathia."

"But she works for the government?"

"Actually no." Sedusky replied, remembering what Ellien had told him. "She's completely independent of him. She's made that very clear."

"Yet she works with government branches?" Cecile said, still skeptical. "Sounds fishy to me...

"You'll learn to trust her." Sedusky said, closing his eyes. "Believe me, I thought I couldn't, and now-

Suddenly, the sound of the main entrance doors sliding open interrupted him, and Sedusky opened his eyes to see two familiar figures. The first one, he recognized instantly. Slender curves, raven cut hair, and for a reason unknown to him, holding a black cat, Ellien Lelend.

The second was someone he had expected to run into again, but under much different circumstances. He was also dressed in a casual black suit, black hair and discolored eyes that Sedusky recognized instantly. Yuri Vasily, or as Sedusky knew, Vladimir Makarov.

His eyes silently narrowed at the man._ "Why is he here...What the hell is Ellien planning to do...Is she crazy?"_

"Inspector Sedusky. Lieutenant Kowalski." Ellien greeted monotonously. "Nice of you to be here."

"Likewise..." Cecile said, eying the pair carefully. "And this is?"

"Sorry. Were are my manners." Ellien apologized without the least bit of sincerity in her voice. "This is Professor Yuri Vasily, a criminology professor at the University of Moscow. He'll be joining us as part of the investigative unit."

"Nice to meet you." Vasily greeted, a warm smile on his face.

Sedusky froze, time stopping at Ellien's words. _"What did she say!...Doesn't she know who this person is!...She going to get everyone killed..."_

"Mr. Vasily has quite the experience and knowledge in criminology, and will be aiding the investigation." Ellien explained. "So do get well acquainted so we get the pleasantries out of the way."

"Pleasure to met you Professor Vasily." Cecile greeted politely, holding out a hand.

Sedusky narrowed his eyes. _"Me and Ellien are the only ones who know...She really has no idea..."_

"Nice to meet you as well Lieutenant Kowalski ." Vasily replied, shaking her hand. "But please, just call me Yuri. Even my students don't address me so formally."

"So long as you call me Cecile." She replied, giving a small smile. "Being address by title feels weird to me as well."

Vasily smiled and nodded. "Deal."

Vasily glanced over at Sedusky. "I believe we've met already Inspector..."

A chill went down Sedusky's spine as he heard those words. He looked into the eyes of 'Vasily', and recognized those same ones. Those were the eyes he saw on the security cameras in Moscow nearly a year ago after the airport attack. Those were the eyes he stared at while a gun was aimed at his head. Those were the eyes that stared at him in anger as he stood over them, vowing to kill him. These eyes, were the eyes of Vladimir Makarov, a terrorist that should have died, but now was standing three feet away from him.

"Remember?" Vasily asked. "After the broadcast. I was question by you."

"O-Oh." Sedusky stuttered, his thoughts broken. "Yes, of course."

"Listen, I wanted to apologize for my attitude during the questioning." Vasily said. "It just frustrating being questioned for a crime you didn't commit."

Each word his said stung Sedusky, eating at his every core. On the outside, this man acted normal, like a person you would never expect to be a murderer or a terrorist. But deep down, Sedusky knew the truth. He knew who he really was. A liar and a backstabber, a scum. It drove him crazy having someone like that standing in front himself, and with nothing to do about it.

"Not at all." Sedusky replied, keeping his composure and trying to keep it at the same time. "Its understandable. Let's just start on a blank slate. My name is Henri Sedusky."

"Yuri Vasily." Vasily replied, shaking Sedusky's hand. "It will be a privilege and an honor working along side you."

Against his own will, against his own morals, Sedusky shook hands with Vladimir Makarov, vowing to make sure one day, this man would never do anything to harm anyone again.

_"I don't know what your planning...But whatever it is, I will stop it..."

* * *

_

Makarov did his best to keep his composure, making every bit of himself seem like Yuri Vasily. There was no room for error, especially with Ellien watching ever so closely. This was all a test, to see if he would reveal anything that could compromise him. But he wouldn't give it up that easily, now matter what. He didn't even give a wrong thought. This was all a test, and he would act like Yuri Vasily, no matter what it. But this man had stopped him from finding Nina, and he would vow to kill him before he saved her. This he vowed.

"Right, now that that's over, now we need to just wait for our final two to arrive." Ellien said, sitting down with her black cat. "Jaufrei is bringing them shortly."

"Um, Ellien..." Sedusky started, looking at her lap. "What is with the cat?"

"Oh him?" Ellien asked, petting the small feline. "Just another member. Vasily knows him quite well, don't you?"

"More or less..." Makarov said, looking away.

"More or less." Ellien repeated. "Yes, well, lets just say Yuri isn't a cat person. It was a stray and I'm currently trying to figure out a name, do you have any suggestions Inspector?"

"Um..Well.." Sedusky started, scratching his head. "Nothing really comes to mind."

"How about Trisky?" Cecile suggested. "That was the name of my cat when I was a kid."

"How childish." Ellien said bluntly, causing Cecile to glare. "Let's not try and embarrass ourselves. Or the cat for that matter."

"Um, Ellien who are we waiting for exactly?" Sedusky asked as Ellien held the cat up, playing with it.

"Agent Obreiski and Irene Sedusky." Ellien replied, continuing to play with the cat. "You've met them of course."

"You mean Obi." Cecile pointed out, causing Ellien to glance over.

"Obi?" She repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Are you referring to Agent Obreiski when you say that."

"Well ya, of course." Cecile replied. "It's a nickname He and I came up for him."

"Well, I'm sure you he can tell us all about that when the two arrive." Ellien said, turning her attention back to the cat. "Now, what other suggestions do you have. Vasily?..."

* * *

Stephan Obreiski stood silent, watching the scene unfold in front of him. He knew it wasn't going to be good, he had already guessed that. But he had no idea that Irene would so openly voice her opinion, especially in front of him and her boss.

"No sir, I refuse!" Irene said, crossing her arms. "This isn't what we agreed on!"

"We didn't agree on anything Irene." Director Lukin replied sharply. "The fact is is that Agent Obreiski is to have an FSB agent around him at all times, and that task has been assigned to you."

"Get someone else!" Irene shouted. "I refuse to work along side 'him'."

Obreiski winced. _"She didn't have to say that..."_

"Your the only one that knows English that is available at the moment." Lukin countered. "You have know say in it, the decision is final. You 'will' be working along side Mr. Obreiski until the investigation has been concluded or the FBI calls him back. Until then, you are to stay around him until further notice. That is all Irene."

Lukin rose out of his chair and motioned her away. "Now get out of my office. Theres people here with more pressing matters then your personal preferences Irene."

Irene turned away sharply and marched angrily out of Lukin's office, passing Obreiski without a second glance. He should of guessed it. The one person in Russia that hated him the most, and he would be working along side her. That was just the kind of luck he had.

"I'm sorry Agent Obreiski, but she's the only one we have available." Lukin apologized , rubbing his forehead. "I assure, Irene may have a fiery temper, but she's a nice person at heart."

"So long as your not American..." Obreiski muttered, crossing his arms.

Lukin sighed. "I'm sure eventually you'll learn to like each other. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"

"I suppose..."

Lukin smiled. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck in you new position with the OSI. I Hope the investigation goes well. For all of us."

Obreiski nodded and turned to the door. "I hope is does too sir..."

* * *

Makarov was beginning to get impatient. After an explanation from Ellien on the workings of the OSI, he had become getting bored of giving suggestions to Ellien's pool of names for her new found feline friend, and Ellien was beginning to notice it.

"Vasily, you look bored." Ellien stated. "You hungry?"

"No." Makarov replied.

"Thirsty?"

"No."

"Tired?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You bored?"

Makarov opened his mouth, but paused momentarily before giving his answer.

"Somewhat."

"How bout we play a game then." Ellien suggested, causing Sedusky and Cecile to glance up in surprise. "Just you and me."

"What kind of game?" Makarov asked, not looking up at her. He kept his eyes closed, trying to take a mental trip to pass the time.

"A game of wits and skill, as well as intelligence and cleverness." She replied, reaching for a box. "It's my favorite and I've been curious to play against you."

Makarov opened an eye and glanced over at the box. Ellien slid it on the table, a small smirk on her face.

"Chess." She said, sliding the box on the table. "I heard from your students your quite a natural at it. They say you've never lost a game, even against the best."

Chess. He was natural at Chess, and enjoyed the game. It was a game that tested every part of you. Each played the game differently, and each had their own ways of winning. It was a game of pure skill and intelligence, and Makarov was a master at it.

"That's correct." Makarov replied. "I haven't lost game for as long as I can remember."

"That's funny." Ellien said. "Cause neither have I...

She reached for a piece and held it in her hand. "But that all changes today. What do you say Vasily?"

Makarov glanced over at her. This was just another test. She was testing him again. But this time, he could fight back. Fine, if she wanted to play her games, that was okay by him. But he wanted to beat her at her own game. And beating her at Chess would be satisfying to him, as well as making her look like a fool.

"Your funeral." Makarov said, glancing at the board. "If it passes the time, I'll play. But don't think I'll go easy on you."

"Whatever you say..." Ellien said, setting the pieces. "We'll know who's the better player soon enough..."

_"I'll enjoy this..."_ Makarov thought to himself, a dark but hidden smile on his face. _"This will show you who your dealing with..."_

* * *

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	36. Intellectual Superior

The board had been set up, and Makarov studied the game board. It was just a normal chess board, made from dark oak wood. It seemed a little out of place compared with the rest of the room, but it didn't matter. This was a game of wits and intelligence, a game of how clever you could be. This was a game on the outside, but Makarov knew it's true purpose, and so did Ellien. This was all a test, to see who was smarter then the other was.

And he wasn't planning on losing.

"Right." Ellien said, taking two pawns of a different side and hiding them behind her back. "Left or right?"

Makarov studied what hand she had taken each piece, as well as the time she had taken mixing them up. After moments of studying, he finally decided.

"Left." Makarov said, pointing to her hand.

She opened her hand, revealing the pawn in her hand. Black.

"Looks like I'm white." Ellien said, putting her pawn back on the board. "Good luck Mr. Vasily."

Makarov took his black pawn and put it back on the board. White always moved first, and he knew that she had a small advantage to that fact. Small, but still an advantage.

"Your move." Ellien said, crossing her arms. Makarov looked to see where she moved. The same pawn, right up the middle.

_"How generic..."_ Makarov thought, moving a pawn to counter her move. He already knew what she was trying to do. In chess, the first moves are crucial, as with any operation in war. In Chess, whoever controls the center of the board, controls the game. This was a major part in any strategy and he knew this well. So well, he could already tell it was hers as well. Unfortunately for her however, he also knew how to counter it.

Ellien put a hand on her cheek and reached across to another pawn, moving it to the adjacent space behind the other, allowing it to be protected. She kept her finger on it for just a second before confirming her move and letting go. She glanced up at him, waiting expectantly.

Makarov knew her move before she had even made it, and quickly moved his other pawn to counter the same move. It was too easy. If she kept playing like this, he could have this game over in ten minutes. No, sooner...

With every move Ellien made, Makarov knew exactly the right move to counter it. No matter what she tried, he could move into position to stop it. Every single move, his confidence grew larger and larger. And after each move, Ellien would take longer and longer to make her next. Every time Makarov moved, she would lean over and ponder longer, seemingly wondering what move to make next. But even Makarov knew what she would do before she even thought of it, and after a while, she began to think deeper, trying to see a way through his defense. But he knew it was pointless. It was so elementary, it wasn't even fair.

_"I guess your just a fool after all..." _Makarov thought to himself, his eyes darkening at Ellien. _"Shame...This actually could of been interesting if you were only a little bit smarter..."_

He glanced over at Sedusky and Lieutenant Kowalski, who were observing the entire match across the table.

_"I hope you can stand being beaten by your intellectual superior in front of your 'pawns'..."_ Makarov thought, almost laughing at the mere thought. _"I must say, I'll actually enjoy playing with you in the future if this keeps up..."_

Finally, after what seemed to be minute, Ellien reached across and placed her hand to her piece, exactly the piece he knew she would move. The white bishop.

_"This is it..."_ Makarov thought, a dark hidden smile on his face He watched her move the bishop to exactly the spot he had predicted, and he waited for her to seal her own fate.

Makarov leaned back in his chair. _"This is your final move. After you move this piece, I'm guaranteed to_-

"No."

Makarov thoughts were instantly broken, nearly startled that someone had actually broken the silence between their game. He looked up to see Ellien, still holding the bishop, but now instead of moving it, she was putting it back where it had been taken, and placing the piece in it's original place.

"No?" Makarov repeated, still stunned by what she had just said. This wasn't suppose to happen. "What do you mean, no?"

She ignored him, instead staring at the board, studying it, looking at every piece. Neither of them had taken a piece from the other, nor had moved any back. The board was set up in perfect unison and harmony, but the next move, no matter what it was, would have it's consequences.

"I know what your trying to do Mr. Vasily..." Ellien said, her eyes still on the wooden board. "And believe me, you've made a grave mistake trying to do it."

Makarov froze, staring in silence at what she had just said. _"No...She lying...She bluffing...Theres no way she could have known...It's just not possible..."_

"If I had moved this piece here, I would have lost." Ellien explained, pointing to her bishop. "And you knew that, didn't you?"

Makarov's eyes narrowed, his fists silently clenched, tightening under the table. He was beginning to get agitated. This wasn't suppose to be happening, not like this.

"And I bet you knew each move I made, right?" Ellien said, raising an eyebrow. "You had this strategy memorized so well, you knew exactly what moves to make, and correctly deduced what moves I would make corresponding to yours. right?"

Makarov said nothing, even though she was exactly right. He was still beginning to get more and more agitated with each word that came out of her mouth. She was mocking him, and she was loving every minute of it.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I know this strategy forwards and backwards, and I know how to win with it." Ellien said, picking up a different piece. "Now, lets see you predict this..."

She moved her white King forward one space, causing Makarov and even Sedusky and Lieutenant Kowalski to become confused.

_"What the hell is she thinking?"_ Makarov thought, staring at the King in complete aghast. _"Why would she move the King, of all pieces?"_

"I'm waiting Mr. Vasily." Ellien said, studying her nails as she waited for him to make his move. Makarov slightly broke his concentration, trying to figure out what to do next.

"R-Right..." Makarov said, beginning to grow suspicious of her move. This wasn't suppose to be happening, yet he still didn't see her plan. He couldn't predict anything anymore, nor could he see her moves before she made them. He was blind.

Makarov took a breath and sighed. _"Calm down...You haven't lost yet...Remember, this isn't just a game of memorizing moves...You have to plan ahead and adapt...You have to adapt..."_

He reached for his knight and moved it ahead, making his first offensive move in the game. It was a safe move, putting the piece further on the board without endangering it. He would have to buy time in order to figure out what she was planning.

As soon as he placed his knight left his hand, she immediately moved her King forward another space again, causing Makarov to become even more confused, and now slightly stunned.

_"I don't get it...What is her grand plan?"_ Makarov thought, trying to figure out her movement. _"If anything, the King is the last piece she should move..."_

Makarov narrowed his eyes and smirked, seeing an opportunity as well as a plan on what he could do. _"Fine, if that's how you want to play the game..."_

He swiftly moved his bishop and slid it right into the position of her king, putting it in potential danger.

"Check." Makarov declared, waiting to see her reaction. Being placed in check would no doubt unnerve her, and stop her from moving her King forward. And beside, any sign of frustration was welcome by him. Especially to see it on her face.

But to his surprise, Makarov saw a reaction he was not expecting at all. In fact, quite the opposite. She wasn't staring at the board at all anymore, or at any piece. She wasn't focused on the game, but rather, something else. Instead, she was staring right at him, looking directly at him with her green and blue eyes, seemingly staring into his soul, looking for something. A rare chill that he had never felt before. What was even more mysterious was he had no idea where it had came from. It was just the way she looked at him.

"Well?" Makarov finally spoke, breaking the silence between them. "It's your move."

Ellien closed her eyes, and slowly, a dark yet confident smile appeared across her face.

"You just lost the game I'm afraid, Mr. Vasily..."

* * *

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	37. Trial 2

Matthew Webb didn't say a word, nor did anyone else in the group as they walked silently through the dark drainage tunnel underneath the Moscow streets. This was the perfect way to approach the target without being detected by the police or security. After the attack on the GUM, he knew anything that even remotely resembled the nerve gas canister would instantly be seized and detained, along with anyone unfortunate to be carrying the object.

But they were smarter then that, and they knew how to plan one step ahead of anything, or anyone that tried to stop them. Just follow instructions, that was the game. Follow your orders and you would live to see the light of another day. Or so he had been told.

As the four of them lugged the large canister down the dripping tunnel, Miller paused, holding up his hand to signal everyone to halt.

"Hold on." He said, staring up at the damp ceiling. "Beckett, light."

Clay reached to the side of his M4 and shined his tactical flashlight on the ceiling above. On it, read a series of numbers pertaining to the city's layout and code. To the average person, they were just a jumble of symbols and letters sprawled across the ceiling in Russian. But to Webb and the rest of the team, they were a legend, a key to a map that would led them through the maze of tunnels and wetwork to their destination.

It only took a brief moment before Miller had finish studying the painted letters on the walls before he looked ahead down the dark tunnel.

"We're close, just a few hundred meters." Miller said, looking at his watch. "Beckett, take point. Webb and Williams, take the canister. Protect it at all costs."

Webb silently nodded and griped the handle on the nerve gas canister along with Chloe. Today was trial two. In the first trial, they wanted to see if the gas could kill a select group of people without killing another group in direct contact. The test had succeeded with impressive results, but today was just as adventitious. Now the goal was to see just how precise the gas could be. If it could be released into a building of hundreds of people, coming into contact with all of them, but only killing a single life. A difficult feat, but The Patriot was confident that it would work, and Webb had a feeling that it would too.

"Keep it up." Miller said, urging them along. "Today is going to be the day were we either hold Moscow as a hostage, or they hold us as theirs."

* * *

Makarov sat frozen in silent horror at what Ellien had just said. Chess had always been a pleasurable experience for Makarov, but this game was quite the oppisite. He never lost, not to anyone or nobody. But now, for the first time, he actually felt threatened, threatened that he would actually lose.

"What?" Makarov said, staring at the board. "What makes you think that?"

"I wanted you to move there, so I moved my King to lure your bishop there." Ellien explained, still staring at him. "And now that you've done that..."

She moved her knight in front the bishop's path of attack, blocking her king from any harm and taking herself out of the check.

"Now your side will slowly decay. Exponentially." Ellien said. "Every move you make, I'll take a piece, and it will happen whither you want it to or not."

"28 moves." Ellien declared, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "That's approximately 12 and a half minutes of oxygen you have left and counting. I don't care if you stall or not, it's not going to change the final outcome."

"So go ahead." She said finally, relaxing in her chair. "I've got all day."

Makarov narrowed his eyes at the chess board, immediately running moves through his head and their consequences were he moved them. Despite not wanting to believe a word she said, she was absolutely right. No matter where he move, no matter what piece it was, he would always have to sacrifice something. And no matter what it was, it was never a good trade off.

_"This is it..."_ Makarov thought as he moved pieces one by one, each getting taken easily by Ellien. _"Theres no way I'll win now, it's-_

"Pointless?"

Makarov looked up suddenly at Ellien, her eyes staring at him devilishly. Makarov narrowed his eyes and eased back in his chair, trying to look at the situation as a whole, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. The fact was clear: He had been outsmarted. He, Vladimir Makarov, the one who would eventually kill the President of Russia and lead the country himself, had been outsmarted. It was a disgrace.

"This is not pointless." Makarov declared, stalling and trying to buy time. "This game isn't over yet."

"No, it is." Ellien easily countered with superior confidence. "And it ends in four moves."

Makarov sighed and closed his eyes. He had tried everything against her and it had failed. Was this just a game, or was she trying to send a message? Was she telling him through it all that she was way above him, and that there was no way that he could even remotely try and beat her? Was that it?

Makarov breathed and put his hand on his rook, knowing that no matter where it would move, it would be taken. He took Ellien's rook was his, sacrificing it before she easily took it out with her pawn.

"Three" Ellien said, causing Makarov's frustration to rise. He was being toyed with, like a little child. It was embarrassing.

Makarov took his knight and placed it to take out the bishop threatening a pawn. Ellien then moved her king and took it out easily as soon as he had placed it, making quick work and taking it off the board.

"Two." Ellien said. "Your also in check."

Makarov looked to see another rook at the far end of the board, now indirect line with his king. Makarov calculated the best move to avoid the attack and moved the king out of harms way and behind the cover of a nearby pawn.

Ellien instantly destroyed the protection by moving her queen and taking the pawn, now putting her queen right in line with his king.

"Check." Ellien declared. "This is the final move, Mr. Vasily."

Makarov fists clenched, knowing she was right. This was it. No matter where he moved, the next move she would make would be checkmate. It was impossible to avoid, and Makarov and Ellien both knew it.

_"I can allow this..." _Makarov thought, going against all urge to show any signs of frustration as he moved his King that would ultimately sealing his fate._ "Somehow...I will make you pay for this...I promise you that..."_

Silence hung in the air as Ellien reached for her queen and began to move it towards the square that would end the game and crown her the victor. This was all a test, a way to provoke a response, a reaction from him. That was the real objective of this game, and that's all it was. If he had to swallow a loss here, then that was okay by him anyway. He knew that in the end, he would have the ultimate victory over her, and he would silence her once and for all.

Ellien held her queen over the square, and before she set the piece down to secure her victory, she did something that shocked everyone in the entire room, especially Makarov.

"Okay, that's it." Ellien said, placing her queen back to it's original position. "I give up. You win Mr. Vasily."

A bombshell hit Makarov, causing him to go blank and stare in complete utter shock from what he had just heard through his ears. It took him a moment for even him to comprehend what had just happened. It didn't make sense. She had him right where she wanted, and yet she chose to forfeit? Such a move was completely unseen, and even Makarov couldn't process the reasoning behind it.

"W-What?" Makarov finally managed, watching Ellien get out her chair. "Why are you forfeiting now?"

"I already explained it." Ellien replied simply, walking to the large supercomputer and the end of the room. "I just give up, that's it. You win, fair and square. Congratulations."

Makarov nearly lost it there. He had never felt this kind of anger before in his life. He wasn't just being toyed with, or embarrassed. He was being ridiculed, like he was a complete failure and joke. This wasn't a test after all, it was a humiliation, a destroyer of his self esteem. It was one thing to loose a chess match, but a completely different thing to be given a victory by charity. It was insulting, just as Ellien had intended it to be.

"Ellien..." Makarov said quietly, looking down at the ground. "Ellien, just finish your-

Suddenly, the room instantly changed from white to red as a siren began to rang, causing everyone except Ellien to look up in confusion.

"The hell is this?" Sedusky asked, looking around in confusion. "Is this a warning?"

"Hmm...Looks like another attack." Ellien said in a boring tone as she stared up at the flashing red lights without the slightest bit of interest. "At least this means the alert activation systems work..."

"An attack?" Cecile repeated. "You mean from the American terrorists?"

"Mostly likely." Ellien replied, looking at her cell phone. "The communications in this place run on the same network as the police and FSB mainframe. Every call that goes to them also goes through us, meaning will know just as soon as they do."

She clicked her phone and brought it up to her ear. "Jaufrei, are you there?"

There was a momentary pause, Ellien silently nodding her head every few seconds as he conversed on the phone. After a momentary conversation, she click the cell shut and turned back to the rest of the group.

"Jaufrei has Agent Sedusky and Agent Obreiski with him." Ellien explained, heading towards the door. "We'll meet them at the site."

"The site?" Makarov asked, watching Ellien proceed to the elevator.

"The goal of the OSI is to stop these terrorists Mr. Vasily, as well as find their leader." Ellien explained. "And that's what I intend to do."

* * *

Alarms were already going off by the time Miller had fired the first shots into the hospital lobby. Many doctors and nurses were scrambling in countless directions, some running for their lives, other running just in fear. Webb didn't even fire a shot from his UMP, or his M9. He had kept himself steady even through the screams. This was no time to make mistakes. Doing so would be deadly.

"Webb and Williams will inject the toxin into the ventilation system." Miller explained, giving one last reminder. "Beckett and I will secure the target. Will regroup back in the lobby once we have confirmation that the target is neutralized. Are we clear?"

"Sir!" Everyone said in crystal unison.

Miller nodded and grabbed his M4. "Then lets get to work."

* * *

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	38. Five Minutes Is All We Need

Sedusky could already hear the sirens off in the distance as he followed Ellien out of the small maintenance building that served as the OSI's entrance. He knew that what ever was causing the call of alarm, definitely had to be connected to the USSA. What was more certain to him was that the Patriot could be in the area of the sirens, maybe only yards from Sedusky if he got over there in time. To think it was possible to put a stop to this all today and now, but he had a feeling that that wasn't going to be the case, even with Ellien's unbreakable determination.

Sedusky looked over at Ellien, trying to match her pace as they walked down the alley. "Have you any details about what the hell's going on?"

"Jaufrei will explain everything once we locate him." Ellien replied, not even glancing back at Sedusky as she walked. "I'm certain that he'll have acquired any details regarding this attack, as well as it's intended target."

"How are you certain that this is an attack?" Vasily asked, glancing at Ellien through narrowed eyes.

"Such a stupid question Vasily..." Ellien muttered, shaking her head. Vasily sighed and shook his head, giving up. Sedusky knew better then to try and get more then he was given with Ellien, and it would take some time before Cecile and 'Vasily' did the same.

"Such a stupid question Vasily..." Cecile mimicked beside Sedusky, making sure no one could hear but the two of them. "Honestly, who does she think she is, talking down to us like that?"

"It's just the way she is." Sedusky replied under his breath. "Just get use to it. I did."

"Well, I don't have your tolerance level for some things." Cecile spat, glaring at Ellien behind her back. "And she's on my list of-

"Inspector, Lieutenant, would you mind catching up?" Ellien called to them. Sedusky looked up, realizing just how far they had fallen behind Ellien and Vasily. They quickly caught up, only to be met with Ellien's famous and unique sarcasm, much to Cecile's enjoyment.

"In case you haven't realize, we're currently in a state of emergency." Ellien stated, Vasily silently looking on beside her. "Lets try and save small talk for later, okay?"

Sedusky politely nodded, while Cecile struggled not to roll her eyes at Ellien's remarks. They quickly continued on ward until they reached the end of the alley were a parked armored black van was waiting for them, three individuals that he recognized immediately: Jaufrei, Irene, and Agent Obreiski.

"Jaufrei." Ellien said, wasting no time addressing the servant. "What's the current situation."

"Four gunmen have appeared to have stormed into Moscow Central Hospital at approximately 11:22 AM, four minutes and thirty five seconds ago." The elderly man explained with crystal precision. "Currently, the area around the hospital has reported gunshots coming from the interior, and staff and patients have been seen fleeing the site."

"I see." Ellien said, quietly thinking to herself. "Have you ran a list of the current patients?"

"Yes." Jaufrei replied. "I've acquired the database for all current patients as well as staff on site."

"Anyone important currently there?" Ellien asked, a finger on her lips. "Political, any high value target?"

"Yes, I did find one." Jaufrei replied, handing Ellien a file. "Sergei Medellin. A member of President's Vorshevsky's cabinet. Currently undergoing heart surgery."

"There going after the politicians..." Vasily said, narrowing his eyes.

"This is not good..." Ellien said, examining at the file. "Public reaction to this will not be to the general liking. Have fun calming everyone now Nicolae..."

Ellien shook her head and gave the file back to the elderly servant, heading to the black armored van. "Jaufrei, get in the drivers seat, everyone else in back."

"You mean were going there?" Stephan asked, watching Ellien get into the passenger side.

"The FBI has sent you here to help find The Patriot, have they not?"

"Well, yes they did, as a profiler, but-

"Then get in Agent Obreiski." Ellien replied swiftly. "Same goes for everyone else."

Sedusky quickly rushed to the back and filed into the van with everyone else. Sedusky could already tell from past experience that the van had formally been from the Federal Security Bureau. The FSB only had the best of best, and Ellien had somehow made it even more state of the art. The entire van was set up as a mobile command center, with computers and hard drives secured in place. It was like the OSI HQ, only mobile.

Sedusky found a chair, along with Vasily and Stephan. Unfortunately, Ellien must had underestimated the ratio of chairs to people, leaving Cecile and Irene with no place to sit.

"You'll have to sit on each others laps." Ellien called from the passenger seat, a laptop now in her hands. "We could only fit three seats."

"Your joking right?" Irene asked, stunned from what she had just heard. "Henri, please tell me shes joking."

Sedusky didn't have an answer for his sister, because he knew Ellien was being dead serious. He could only shrug and give no more help to his sister then she could.

"Cecile, you can sit on my lap if you want." Sedusky suggested, causing Irene to glare and Cecile to smile.

"Sure." Cecile said, sitting on top of his legs.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Irene demanded, glaring at him in growing anger.

Ellien glanced back, still tapping on her keyboard at the same time. "You can sit on Agent Obreiski-

"Absolutely out of the question." Irene spat, causing the brown haired FBI agent to shake his head and sigh.

"Or sit with Mr. Vasily." Ellien finished, not showing any care for Irene's awkward predicament. "By the way, Mr. Vasily, Agent Irene Sedusky of the FSB. Agent Sedusky, Mr. Yuri Vasily."

"Pleasure to meet you Agent Sedusky." Vasily greeted, shaking her hand.

"Likewise." Irene replied politely. "But if it's alright with you, I think I'll just sit on the floor."

"Fine by me." Vasily replied, buckling himself in. "I would hate to put you out of your comfort zone."

"Well, I'm glad you understand." Irene replied. "Unlike some people..."

"I just hope you find the ride on the floor in your 'comfort zone'" Ellien said from the passenger seat. "Now, Jaufrei, lets go. I hope you been practicing your evasive driving skills."

"Of course madam."

Ellien nodded. "I prefer five minutes then. At the minimum."

"Understood."

And with that final word, the van's engine revved and Sedusky was nearly sent out of his seat by the sudden acceleration, even with his seat belt on. Irene on the other hand, was in the back on the van in seconds. He had a feeling he would reach the hospital in five minutes. At a minimum of course.

* * *

The hospital had been turn into a place of chaos rather then a place of healing, and Webb knew it was only a matter of time before even more chaos ensued. He was well drilled in keeping a strict time limit. He knew all the rules, how the police operated, and what they would do in a given situation. They knew all the rules, and exactly how to bend them to get away to fight another day. This was how the game was played.

Webb carried the gas canister along with Chloe until they reached a locked maintenance door, the only thing that was standing in their way.

Webb instantly went to his lockpicks. "Allow me-

Chloe fired a gunshot into the door's lock, destroying it instantly and nearly causing Webb to lose his grip on his own gun from the sudden explosion of sound.

"My kind of lockpick." Chloe said, examining her pistol. "Seems to work like a charm every time..."

Webb silently glared at her before resuming their work. He kicked open the door and the two dragged the cylinder inside to the dimly lit maintenance room.

"There." Chloe pointed to a large grate at the far end of the room. The two both carried the nerve gas until it was situated in front of the grated metal.

"Hand me the hammer." Webb ordered, pointing to a large sledgehammer sitting propped in a corner. Chloe quickly tossed the hammer to Webb and he began to dismantle the grate, slamming the large sledge against the metal until it would finally give way.

Miller's voice came over their radios. "Team two, what is your status, over?"

"At the ventilation system, getting ready to insert the canister. Yours, over?" Chloe replied, keeping an eye on the door in case anyone were to come in.

"Were at the target's room, in the special care ward." Miller replied. "Rig the canister for remote access, don't set it off until you get back here, understood."

"Understood." Chloe replied as Webb continued to hammer away at the grate.

Finally, after consecutive blows with the hammer, the grate finally fell off on to the concrete floor. Webb quickly grabbed on of the handles to the cylinder.

"Help me."

Chloe picked up her end and the two placed the cylinder into the ventilation shaft with ease. The key part to the experiment had been placed, now it was time to see if the trial would fail, or succeed.

"Were finished sir." Chloe said over her radio. "We'll be there in less then five minutes."

"Understood." Miller replied. "Five minutes is all we'll need."

Webb was slightly hesitated by Miller's words, getting caught of guard and momentarily stunned by what he had just said. For some reason, unknown to him, he felt as if things had just gone wrong by Miller just saying that once sentence. For the first time, Webb began to feel uneasy, that something was going to happen that would cause everything to go down hill very quickly, and that he would defeated by an unknown enemy.

It was a feeling that Matthew Laurence Webb hadn't felt in a long time.

* * *

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	39. Unorthodox Action

While she had said five minutes at the minimum, to Vladimir Makarov, it felt like five minutes of near death driving maneuvers, getting jerked around in his seat as Jaufrei drove the black FSB van at such a high speed that even Makarov had a hard time comprehending how they hadn't crashed into something. Everyone in the back had been holding on to their seats, trying to keep themselves steady as the van rounded a sharp curve or swerved to avoid traffic. Only Ellien was sitting normally, calmly tapping on her laptop as they sped to their destination. But after five minutes of high speed defensive driving, the newly formed Office of Special Investigations made it to Moscow Hospital in one piece.

Jaufrei pulled the emergency brake and parked the van. "Four minutes, forty three seconds." He announced, glancing over at Ellien in modesty.

"Quite well done Jaufrei." Ellien said, closing her laptop. "But you could have made it in four if you hadn't stopped the lights."

"I'll plan better next time m'am." Jaufrei promised, apologizing.

"Hmm, perhaps..." Ellien said, opening the door and beginning to get out of her chair. "Everyone, follow me."

Everyone in the back automatically got out of their seats and filed quickly out. As Makarov stepped out onto the high noon daylight, his sight was greeted by an impressive display of police, FSB, and media news reporters, all surrounding the large hospital situated in the city. Nearly half the police force in the city had to be here, just like the day at the airport nearly a year ago.

Ellien stepped around the van towards the drivers side. "Jaufrei, stay in the van and provide Intel on the happenings inside that hospital. Who ever is inside, I want to know immediately."

Jaufrei nodded obediently. "Is the team wired yet?"

"Come to think of it, no..." Ellien said, surprised that even she would forget something. "Everyone, come here."

Makarov approached along with everyone else as Ellien held out six sets of high tech earpiece radios reserved only to the highest security groups. Makarov along with everyone else took one and placed it in their ear.

"Also, I understand everyone is armed, correct?" Ellien asked, causing everyone but Makarov to nod. Ellien looked over at him, almost waiting for an answer as to way he didn't have a gun on him.

"I suppose it would be good to arm you Mr. Vasily." Ellien finished for him, reaching to her side and pulling out a spare pistol.

"Wait..." Makarov started, staring at the pistol in surprise. "Your giving me a weapon?"

"You are coming with us, correct?" Ellien asked, as if everything was normal.

"I'm a teacher, a professor on criminal practices. " Makarov said, remembering his alias. "I can't use this."

"It's like a camera, Mr. Vasily." Ellien said, handing him the pistol. "You just point and shoot. I have a feeling your already a natural anyway..."

Ellien turned her attention to her servant one last time. "Make sure you have all police and FSB communications synced on our network. Even the news networks too. If anyone spots anything other then us, we can pick it up."

"Already done." Jaufrei said with a swipe of the keyboard.

Ellien nodded and gave a hidden smile. "Then lets begin once again."

She motioned everyone to follow and they began to head towards the police barricade, FSB agents and troops already having the entire perimeter completely surrounded under the sight of a high powered rifle. No one was getting in or out before going through a wall of highly trained anti terrorist units.

Makarov was studying the pistol in his hands, amazed that Ellien would just hand him such a device even with the supposed knowledge she had on him. It was like she was asking for him to do something with it, and he was running through and rapidly memorizing everything about the weapon Ellien had given him, cataloging everything about it.

_"Weapon, PSM pistol, weight, estimated 500 grams, constructed from enforced steel and aluminum...5.45x18 mm, eight round cartridge, estimated 300 m/s muzzle velocity...Range, estimated 25m with fixed sights given variable conditions..."_

He then glanced up at Ellien, surrounded by the others, now in conversation with an FSB officer in charge of the barricade.

_"Target: Ellien Lelend... Height, 6 ft, 1 inch... Weight, estimated 120...Range, 10 meters...8 round cartridge... Shooting scenario: Two rounds in legs_, _three in chest, one in neck and final wound in cerebral cortex...Estimated chance of hit, 97.8%..."_

Makarov's eyes darkened. _"Estimated rate of Survival for Ellien Lelend: 0%...Estimated survival rate for shooter: 0%..."_

After several moments contemplation, Makarov already knew that having a gun in his hands in front of Ellien meant little to the facts of his and her side. He was still a member of the OSI as Yuri Vasily, and so long as he was, he couldn't do anything to harm anyone, and Ellien knew it. At least for now anyways._.._

"I'm sorry Miss." The FSB officer said, putting his arms up in protest. "But the fact of the matter is that no one is allowed past this point under the proper authorization is given."

"Really?" Ellien said, reaching in her pocket. "Well, this is the 'proper authorization.'" She said, presenting her ID to the officer. "You have been brief on this level, have you not?"

"Of course, but I didn't realize you would be-

"As of right now, this operation is under my control." Ellien said, putting her id away before the Officer could protest futher. "Potentate Carpathia has given me full authorization, and you will allow me to pass."

"But Director, this entire area has been declared quarantined!" The FSB officer protested. "If you go in there-

"You have gas masks, correct?"

"Well, yes, But-

"We'll need six." Ellien said, looking at everyone in the group. Everyone in the OSI was instantly stunned at her words.

"What are you saying?" Cecile said, looking at her as if she had gone mad.

Sedusky gave a cautious look. "Ellien, are you sure this is reasonable?"

Obreiski nodded. "Agreed, should this be left to the FSB rather then us?"

"The FSB will be assisting us." Ellien replied, turning her attention to the now confused captain. "Your name, Captain?"

"Wolick." The FSB officer replied. "Captain Wolick, acting commander-

"You have proper communication and chain of command set up captain?" Ellien asked, checking her weapon. "Unit numbers and positions?"

"We have nearly a hundred officers set up around the perimeter." Wolick explained hastily, trying to keep up with Ellien's pace. "Sharpshooters are covering the entrances, with six teams ready to move in."

"Very well." Ellien replied, loading her firearm. "Prepare to move your men in then Captain."

"But standard procedure says-

"We're here to find these terrorists." Ellien said, ignoring him and already handing everyone gas masks. "And if it means we have to break a few rules, then so be it."

* * *

The quiet beeping of the heart monitor was the only thing Webb could hear as everyone stood silently around the bed of Secretariat Sergei Medellin. The elderly cabinet member had no idea what was going on inside or outside the hospital. No sirens, no helicopters, nothing. Just silence. He was blissfully asleep, unaware of what was about to happen.

Webb studied the mans features. He looked peaceful as he slept, his chest rising and falling with his calm breathing. A pair of gold trimmed reading glasses set next to a glass of water on the desk next to his bed. Everything was just as it had been when he went to sleep. Just calm and peaceful. But Webb knew that that was about to change, even if Medellin wasn't. A shame, to be killed in slumber. It made Webb sick to his stomach at the thought.

Miller glanced at the life support monitor. "Breathing is calm, vitals are normal and stable. Everything is okay."

"Masks off." Miller ordered, taking off his gas mask. Everyone followed without question. It was either they would see this man die in front of them or die along with him. It was the only sure way the test was consistent.

He glanced over at Chloe, his hand held open. "The trigger." He said without emotion.

Chloe handed the small device in her hand to Miller without question, not even looking at him. She just stared silently at the resting politician, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Miller armed the remote trigger and placed his finger on the button. "USSA squad #0704, this is Miller. We are a go. Commencing trial two."

The button clicked and everyone waited in absolute silence. Webb glanced around, studying everyone's expressions. Miller was waiting anxiously observation the smallest of details. He didn't even blink as if to risk missing something. Clay was studying Medellin closely, almost in awe as he waited. Chloe just continued to stare silently, almost sad as she waited for the death of the man. Webb closed his eyes and sighed. They were all next to someone's death bed, just waiting.

Suddenly, only after half a minute, the heart monitor began to sped up, Medellin's heart beats getting faster and faster as the machines beeps began to get quicker and quicker. His breathing became more bated, his chest heaving. Sweat began to form on his forehead, his hands and arms shaking.

Finally, after only seconds, the heart monitor flat lined, and Secretariat Sergei Medellin gave one final breath before dying peacefully, not uttering a sound as his body relaxed on the bed and became completely motionless. Cardiac arrest followed, then immediately by death.

Webb didn't say a word, only knowing that they had succeed. The gas had done exactly what it was supposed to: Kill a single target, without harming anyone else in contact of the gas.

"I did it..."

Webb looked up to see Miller staring in awe at Medellin's corpse, his eyes glimmering devilishly at the sight before him.

"I did it." Miller repeated, still not believing what had just happened. "This is it. I've won..."

"It's over sir." Chloe cut in, looking at her wrist watch. "It's time to go."

Miller smirked, grabbing his gun. "Your right Williams. So much work, so little time..."

A loud audible explosion came from four floors down, causing everyone to look up in surprise.

"The hell was that?" Clay asked, staring at everyone in complete shock.

"It couldn't be..." Chloe started, glancing out the window. "How could it be happening so soon?"

Webb stood frozen in silent fear at the sound, knowing what it meant, along with everyone in the room. _"The FSB is in the building?...But that's against their operating procedure, we made sure of that!...How could they..."_

Everyone in the team stared at Miller, waiting for an explanation as to what mistake they made, what caused them to make that one mistake. But the look on Miller's face was one of a rarity. It was pure shock and fear, fear that for the first time, he felt threatened. The same feeling of under threat and pressure began to resurface in Webb once more, sending a chill down his spine.

"Everyone, lets move." Miller said, hastily loading his gun and heading for the hallway. "We'll fight our way to the maintenance sewers and escape from there. Beckett, is the PE4 ready and primed?"

Clay nodded and displayed a single detonator to him. "Got one on every floor support. Should cause enough confusion to give us time."

"Well blow this place once were in the sewer." Miller said, walking down the hallway at a rapid pace. "After that, we'll figure out who had the audacity to order this breach, and make them pay."

Webb flipped the safety off his UMP and readied himself for the fight that he knew was going to happen. For all he knew he could be dead in the next five minutes, killed as a patriot, but labeled a terrorist to the world.

Whatever the outcome, the answer would be clear to him very soon.

* * *

"Move, secure the corridor!"

"Blocking positions set up on all sides!"

"Two men, cover this entrance!"

Dozens upon dozens of gas masked FSB troops stormed the hospital lobby, quickly locking it down and beginning to search and clear every inch of the hospital.

"Lock it down." Ellien ordered, watching through her gas mask. "If you find anyone, do not shoot to kill, we need these individuals alive. If they make it out of the building, the snipers will take care of them outside."

Makarov watched as she placed her hand to her ear, activating the receiver. "Jaufrei, what is the layout of the building?"

"Six floors, approximately 500 patient rooms." Jaufrei explained over the radio. "Secretariat Medellin is on the forth floor, room 412."

"Understood, then that's the most probabilistic location for our targets." Ellien replied, glancing over at the hospital directory. "Keep us informed if any new developments come over on the FSB radios."

"Understood."

Ellien turned her attention back to the others. "Inspector Sedusky, Kowalski, stay here and monitor the entrance. If Jaufrei calls anything in, respond to it immediately."

She then turned to Irene and Agent Obreiski. "Help the FSB search for whatever device the terrorists planted in the building, if any. After you found it, secure it and report it back to Jaufrei."

The two pairs nodded in unison and quickly went off to their assigned duties. Makarov looked over at Ellien, wondering what she would have him do.

"And us?" Makarov asked.

Ellien looked over at the directory one last time. "According to the time we breached the door, our targets should be nearing the third floor. The FSB are busy searching everything, so lets gomeet them first."

Makarov raised an eyebrow, following Ellien to the stairwell. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"The world is built on good ideas and bad ideas Mr. Vasily." Ellien replied, flipping the safety off her pistol. "And good or bad, it doesn't matter. It all depends on the person coming up with them."

* * *

Webb silently followed behind everyone, sweeping every inch of the stairwell as they proceeded down it. The shouts downstairs were becoming louder and louder, and it was only a matter of time before they ran into someone. It wasn't a question of if he was going to fire his weapon, but when.

Miller held his hand up as the approach the third floor door. Silently, he twisted the knob and the four of them swiftly proceed through and down the long clean hospital hallway.

"Theres a maintenance stairwell on this floor." Miller explained in a whisper as they quickly proceeded down the hallway, guns raised. "That will take us directly to the exfoliate."

"And then?" Clay hissed, his knuckles pale white from clutching his gun grip.

"Then follow my orders and you'll be fine." Miller hissed back, glaring at him. Clay muttered something and continued without another question.

Webb glanced outside of the hospital. He could see the blue and red flash of the police sirens pulsating outside. He could already tell that hundreds had surrounded the hospital, and that hundreds more were probably on the way. To the normal person, any type of escape seemed impossible. But they had a plan, and they knew there was a way out. You just had to be smart enough.

"Up ahead." Miller said, pointing at a L fork in the hallway. "Exit, to our left."

* * *

Ellien placed her hand on the door handle to the third floor corridor, Makarov watching silently as she did it. He had his pistol raised, ready to fire at anyone who dared fire back at him. He was a master at firearms, with the aim of a perfect marksmen. There was only two men better then him, and both were already dead. Zakhaev had thought him everything about the art of firing a bullet, and now those skills were still etched into his mind.

"Well, Mr. Vasily." Ellien said, twisting the knob. "Lets go meet these 'expert' terrorists, shall we?"

She opened the door and proceeded through, Makarov following closely behind. Just as she predicted, they stepped out into the clean white corridor to be greeted by four individuals, all armed and definitely not part of the FSB.

Makarov instantly began to study the four Americans, and began wondering which one, if any of them knew where his sister was.

* * *

Webb stopped abruptly along with everyone else, stunned by what just appeared in front of him. Two slender figures appeared in front of them at the far end of the hallway, walking casually out of the far main stairwell. From a quick look of them, Webb quickly realized they weren't FSB, or at least weren't dressed like it. One was a black haired man, with narrow eyes and a sharp complexion. The other was a woman, slender and petite, with similar eyes and black hair. Both were wearing gas masks as well.

Miller stopped frozen, stunned by just the fact of running into some one. Webb didn't know what to do. They hadn't prepared for this scenario. They weren't FSB, but they were civilians either. Should they fire, or stand down?

Webb glanced around at everyone quickly. No one was doing anything, so Webb did the same. He had already spotted the two were armed, and even though they were only small firearms, it wasn't worth the risk to take chances. Better to follow orders and not suffer the consequences of a panicked engagement.

The slender woman was the first to break the silence. "At the risk of myself sounding cliched, we've been expecting you, Miller."

Miller's eyes widened in surprised at her words. For the first time, Webb found Miller completely shocked and at a loss for words. And he as well as everyone else was stunned in silence as well.

"And I take it that would be 'Beckett', 'Webb', and 'Williams' with you as well, then?" The woman continued, looking at Webb and the others, evoking more stunned silence from everyone.

Webb was completely dumbfounded, his mind rapidly shooting off questions. _"How the hell does she know our names?...How long has she known this kind of information?...Who the hell are these two?...How much those she really know about me?..."_

He knew that this was bad. Here was this woman, casually spouting secrets that he and the others had kept secret from the world for years. This could be then beginning of the end of the them, as well as the rest of the USSA. It was a severe breach in information.

"Well, judging by the fact that your heading towards the exit, I take it your target, Secretariat Medellin is dead?" She asked, casually studying her nails.

Miller's fist clenched. "Who the hell are you two!"

"And since you already release the gas to kill him, and your not wearing any, this toxin is somehow immune to everyone else." The woman correctly deduced, causing further shock from Webb and the others. "Then I guess this will no longer be necessary."

She pulled off her gas mask, reveling a young, calm looking face. Her eyes flashed two different colors, a feature Webb noticed instantly. One eye, green, the other blue. The man next to her did the same, and Webb was shocked even more to find he had the same eyes. The two looked surprising similar, and what was even more strange, Webb was somehow recognizing the silent man, but couldn't figure out as to why.

"Answer my question!" Miller demanded, his gun shaking and now aimed at the two. "Who are you?"

"My name is Ellien Lelend, Director of the newly formed Office of Special Investigation." She introduced, unmoved with staring down a loaded gun. "It's a government funded organization tasked with finding the Patriot and Vladimir Makarov, and bringing the two to justice. Which would also include you four..."

Webb along with everyone else tensed up at her words, their guns now raised for combat, waiting for the order.

"I suppose you wouldn't consider the option of a peaceful surrender then?" The woman asked coldly, not showing any emotion in her eyes.

Everyone put their fingers on the trigger, ready to fire.

"No," She sighed melodramatically. "I suppose not."

Miller's face turned to a smirk and smiled devilishly, an idea forming in his head.

"You have no idea what your dealing with." He said, glaring at Lelend. "Here's a demonstration, 'Director'."

Without warning, Miller quickly snatched Clay's remote trigger and instantly armed it, sending Webb and the others into terror.

"Wait, no!" Chloe shouted, trying to stop him. "What are you-

A shot rang out, causing dark red blood to fly from Miller's hand that held the trigger. He yelled out in pain and the detonator flew out of his grip. Webb turned to see the silent man fire a single shot from his pistol, hitting it's target with precise accuracy. Webb was about to fire at the two, when the detonator hit the floor, setting of the explosives on each of the floors Clay had set.

A wall of fire and debris erupted between them, sending everyone to the ground. Webb's head crack against the ground, sending a sharp pain through his head and another through his leg. His ears were ringing, but he still manage to hear Miller scream orders to everyone.

"Get to the fucking exit!" He shouted, running down the other hallway. Chloe and Clay quickly picked themselves up, and Webb tried to do the same. As he tried his first step, he winced in pain as he found a sharp piece of metal jutting out of his right thigh. Against the pain, he tried to catch up, limping and trying to ignore the burning sensation.

They made it down the stairs, followed by the others. Fires were beginning to erupt around them, oxygen tanks erupting and causing more explosions and chaos. Webb ducked and dodged falling debris and tried to keep up with the others, while trying to stay conscious at the same time.

"_I can't stop, not now...I can't stop...I'll die if I do..."_

Clay looked back at Webb down the hallway, noticing how far behind he was. "Matt! Come on! Lets-

He didn't finished his sentence as an explosion rocked the hallway, sending a cloud of debris falling from the ceiling. Webb covered his eyes, shielding himself from the harsh fumes. As he cough and choked, he looked to see Clay and the others completely gone, now replace by a large pile of debris. His route of escape was now cut off.

Webb quickly looked around for alternate options. The only one he could find was a window off to his right. Not much, but better then burning to death. He quickly limped over to it and flung it open.

He looked outside to the ground below. A fire escape sat in front of him and he quickly stepped on to the metal framework, quickly hobbling down the steps in pain. He didn't know what he was going to do to get past all the police and FSB in his state. Only a miracle could save him now.

As he rounded the second flight of stairs on the fire escape, another explosion suddenly came from the building inside, the force rocking everything around him. The explosion was strong enough for him to lose his balance and fall off the fire escape into the alley below.

He fell a good fifteen feet before he hit the pavement. He tried to brace himself as if to help soften his fall, but the pain was still great. The force knocked the wind out of him instantly, stripping him of whatever energy he had left and leaving him immobilized, defeated. There was nothing left in him, the pain was to much. His eyes began to flutter as he slowly began to black out and give in. He would know when he would wake up, but when he did, it would be in custody. He had failed, and that was that. This was it for him, the end.

His eyes fluttered, his vision slowly draining. All sound left his ears, despite everything around him. But before he finally lost conscious, he looked up to see someone approaching him. His vision was so blurred, he couldn't make out who it was. He finally recognized who it was before his eyes fluttered and he finally lost consciousness.

The final details he took in was a girl with scarlet brunt hair and dark burgundy eyes. He realized it was the girl that had been tailing him before everything went black.

* * *

Anya Kosov quickly bent down and lifted Webb gently off the ground, ignoring the sirens around her. He was unconscious and hurt bad, but he would live. She would get him out and away, and then she would get answers.

_"You'll be my secret..." _Anya thought to herself as she carried him off. She wouldn't tell anyone about him. Not Anatoly. Not Victor. Not Makarov. She didn't trust them, so she would play by her rules instead. She wanted freedom, and if it meant holding a secret against Makarov, then so be it.

"Hold on." Anya said to Webb, even though he couldn't hear her She clutched him close, knowing she was his only hope of avoiding arrest.

"I need you alive."

* * *

Makarov came out of the building, coughing from the smoke and hot ash, along with Ellien. He could feel the heat of the flames behind him as he set down on an open concrete step, catching his breath. FSB troops were falling out of the building, some wounded, some tending to wounded. The entire operation had feel apart, and Makarov and everyone knew it, including Ellien.

Jaufrei voice came into his ear over the comms. "Miss Lelend, whats your status?"

Makarov looked at Ellien and found himself looking her in surprise at her expression. Her normal calm and intelligent demeanor was no where to be seen. What he saw in front of him was an Ellien Lelend he hadn't seen, one full of silent and growing anger.

"My, 'Status', Jaufrei, is extremely annoyed..." Ellien said quietly, glaring ahead in dark anger. "Get on the computer. I want to know everything there is about one Miller, Webb, Beckett, and Williams, and I want to know before I get back to base."

"Yes ma'am." Jaufrei said quickly without any pleasantries tacked on. Even he must of sensed Ellien wasn't her normal self.

Ellien turned back to the hospital, staring up at the cloud of smoke now bellowing up to the clear blue sky.

"Mr. Vasily, I think we'll stop for today. You can go home." Ellien said without looking at Makarov.

Makarov glanced over at her, questioning her order. "But what about-

"Nothing further is required from you." Ellien said sharply, still not looking at him. "Leave, now."

She dusted charred threads from her elbows. "There will be a reckoning for this, count on it Mr. Vasily."

Makarov dusted himself off and looked ahead. It was time to find out more about Ellien, and he knew exactly the person to ask.

* * *

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	40. Past Memories: I

It was at least an hour later before Vladimir Makarov made it back to the same familiar rundown apartment that was in use by Victor and Anatoly. Being in the neighborhood it was in, many people kept to themselves, giving him the perfect place to meet his men in perfect secludion. He walked the same five flights of stairs and four doors down the old wallpaper peeling hallway to the apartment door. Makarov knocked at the door in a combination of pauses and knocks, and soon, the familiar face of Anatoly was staring at him.

His first reaction was surprise. "Makarov? What are you doing here?"

Makarov brow narrowed, causing Anatoly to instantly realize his mistake as he looked into glaring eyes.

"Vasily, Vasily!" Anatoly said hastily, putting up his hands in apology. "Sorry, it's hard to remember sometimes."

"Well try a little harder." Makarov said as he walked past him into the shabby apartment room. "Were is Elena?"

"Over here."

Makarov turned to see Elena laying casually on the couch just the way he had last seen her, still playing with her stupid puzzle cube. The T.V was on in front of her, but she choose to ignore it, continuing to turn and twist her puzzle instead.

"I heard you were there." Elena said, not looking at him or the T.V. "How did it go? Did you catch the terrorists and save everyone in the nick of time?"

Makarov glared at her, but didn't show any signs of anger. "No, we didn't."

"That's too bad." She sighed, closing her eyes. "To think you could have ended it right there."

Makarov closed his eyes and smiled darkly. "You really are that blind and absentminded, aren't you?"

Elena glanced up at him, for the first time, there was curiosity in her eyes. Not in the fact she was wondering what he meant, but rather, what he knew that she didn't.

"Excuse me?" Elena asked, finally looking up at him. "Blind and absentminded?"

"I'm not here to find or stop any terrorists." Makarov corrected, watching at the news broadcast on T.V. "I'm here to find my sister. Anyone who stands in my way will be removed. I don't care about this 'Patriot' or their damn radical cause. All I want is one thing."

"Revenge?" Elena asked. Makarov simply nodded.

"Correct." Makarov said, sitting down on a vacant chair. "But there's just one thing standing in my way."

"Ellien." Elena said, knowing the answer instantly. Makarov nodded and closed his eyes.

"I know now what I'm dealing with." Makarov said quietly, deep in thought. "I know what game I'm playing, and what the stakes are. I thought I knew my opponent, and knew what to do. But I was wrong, my own mind betrayed me. And now, for the first time in my life, I'm trying to beat someone at their own game, as appose to my own. It's frustrating..."

Makarov looked up at Elena, staring directly into her eyes. "You said you knew her. How?"

Elena stopped turning her Rubix cube. "This game again..."

"This isn't a game." Makarov declared. "You and I agreed to help each other, Now help me. How do you know her?"

"Is this a dream?" Elena said sarcastically. "Is Vladimir Makarov actually asking me for help? And here I thought you were too arrogant..."

"You said you had a dream, just like me." Makarov said calmly, ignoring her sarcasm. "If you ever want to see your dream come true, then you'll have to help me."

Elena just smiled. "I never told you 'my' dream. How do you know I need your help?"

Makarov froze. He didn't have an answer to that question. She never had told her why she wanted to accomplish with helping him. He tried to figure out a reason, but nothing came to mind. He had never actually considered what Elena Zakhaev would want from him. Zakhaev himself wouldn't even know...

Elena noticed his pause. "I suppose I should help you, considering who your dealing with."

"Then give me answers." Makarov said, leaning into his chair. "How do you know Ellien Lelend?"

Elena paused, thinking to herself before beginning. "Nearly 13 years ago. Yes, its been 13 years since that day..."

* * *

_Thirteen Years Ago._

_Eleven Miles North of __Pripyat__, Ukraine._

_ October 13, 2003_

It had been decades since the Chernobyl incident, but the greatest radioactive spill in history was still effecting the area around it. When the incident had first stuck, entire cities were evacuated, turned into ghost towns in a matter of days. Lives were uprooted and changed for ever, and people were forced to scatter to avoid the deadly radioactive poisoning that came from the fallout.

Some left. Some refused to leave and stay in their homes. The foolish were killed, and many died, entire families and communities vanishing from existence. Many children became orphans overnight, left without a home or a guardian to protect them. Many of them would have died along with their parents to nuclear fallout, or to the harsh Ukraine climate, if it hadn't been for the efforts of a philanthropist, and the 'Pripyat Children's House for the Orphaned.'

Elena Zakhaev now stood outside that same house, staring up at it's towering structure. The Fall season wind's bit at her pale face as she clutched the warm hand of the elderly man walking her down the forested drive. It amazed her that such a place could be built in such seclusion, with even a bell tower.

"This way darling." The old man said, leading her into through the large yard. Elena clutched the man's leather gloved hand tightly as he led her through the ghostly yard. It was littered with toys and other playthings. A old rusting swing set and slide sat silently in the yard, the swings creaking back and forth in the wind.

The old man led her gently up the steps and to the front porch could here the faint sound of children playing and laughing with one another from inside. The old man stopped at the front door. It was made of dark oak and had iron hinges. The old man inserted a small key into the lock, and turned the hinge, swinging the massive door open.

Elena followed the man inside, still clutching his hand. As he walked into the entry way, nearly a few dozen set of young eyes looked at him.

"Jaufrei!" The kids screamed in joy, causing the old man to smile gently.

"Afternoon." Jaufrei replied with a nod of his hat. "Everyone, I have someone I want you all to meet."

Every kid looked at the new gray haired five year old standing beside the towering man. Elena glanced away shyly, trying to avoid their gaze and burying herself in her scarf as much as she could. They stared at her silently, observing and watching her, waiting for her to say something. To do something.

Jaufrei noticed her shyness and smiled. "I'll let you play with the others and make some new friends. I need to meet with someone, but I'll be back with dinner later. Play nice children."

"Bye!" The kids cheered in unison before going back to their toys and playing. Elena watched them, standing stationary as she observed the children playing with blocks or toy cars.

Her pale gray eyes stared at them silently, watching them laugh and play. She didn't belong here. She wasn't an orphan, she had a guardian, or so she thought. It didn't make any sense to her why she had been sent here, but she didn't remember what had happened after the last time she saw her father. All she saw was him for a split second, then blackness. She woke up countless hours later abandoned, with no where to go. She would been dead, if she hadn't run into the elderly man after getting caught stealing.

Too shy to approach anyone and thoughts on her mind, five year old Elena Zakhaev went to the nearby corner and sat silently until supper, watching the children play.

* * *

"So you were an orphan?" Anatoly asked, also listening in on the story. "I can't say I'm surprised at that..."

"This orphanage, the one near Pripyat." Makarov spoke, silently contemplating Elena's words. "Is it still standing."

"Yes, at least I would assume." Elena replied. "It was at least when I had left."

"And this is the place were you met Ellien?" Makarov inquired, his eyes staring at the young girl as he waited for her answer.

Elena nodded. "Yes, it was..."

* * *

"Everyone!"

Elena, along with every kid in the room turned their heads to see Jaufrei reappear nearly an hour after he had arrived, standing in the living room entryway. Elena stood herself up and watched the old man clear his throat.

"Everyone, dinner is ready." Jaufrei said. Children instantly began to file automatically down the hallway and down to the dining room. Elena began to do the same when Jaufrei stopped her.

His turned his attention to Elena. "Miss, if you would be so kind, there is someone I would like you to meet."

Elena stood still as everyone filed out of the large living room and down the hall to the dining room until the room was silent. As soon as the sound of hurried footsteps left, Jaufrei approached Elena, kneeling down to meet her eye level.

"I know it's hard to adjust." Jaufrei said softly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But I will do my best to make you feel safe and secure in this house. This is your home, and I will do my utmost servitude to see that you feel comforted. I promise you."

Elena silently nodded, not saying a word. Jaufrei patted her softly on her shoulder.

"And also, there's someone that would like to meet you." Jaufrei said, looking over his shoulder at a new individual now standing behind him.

Elena looked behind him to see a young woman, slender and petite, wearing a dark wool button up sweater and dark jeans. She had dark shoulder cut hair and unique eyes. She didn't notice them at first, but they had to be her most beautiful feature to Elena. One was a clear green, the other, a dark blue.

The young woman towered over her, causing Elena to avoid her gaze.

"You must be Elena." The woman said, extending her hand. "Its nice to meet you."

Elena stared at her hand. She had never shook anyone's hand before. She had never had any kind of social interaction with no one. She had been locked away her whole life, cut off from anyone living in the world. And now this woman she had never meet was standing before her, seemingly stunning and leaving her frozen. She didn't know what to do.

The woman noticed her pause. "Your a shy one, aren't you." She said, knelling down to Elena's eye level. "But there's something about you, something that I like..."

The woman smiled and shook Elena's hand. "Welcome to your new home Elena Zakhaev, my name is Ellien Lelend. Whatever you need, I will provide it for you."

* * *

"And that was the beginning?" Makarov asked.

Elena nodded quietly. "Yes, the beginning. And the start of the end."

* * *

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	41. Past Memories: II

Days turned to weeks. Weeks into months. Nearly everyday that pasted, Elena would find herself trying to count the days, but found it boring once she realized it was pointless. There was no future here, no place she could find any hope in. She was in an orphan house, and everyday would be the same.

She tried to find something to do to keep her occupied. She never played with the other kids, or talked to anyone. She wouldn't interact with no one. When ever they would play or eat, she would just watch the others silently, observing and wondering to herself: What kind of life each of them had?

Elena knew she wasn't meant to be here, but she didn't have a choice. Every day, she felt more and more out of place, with each thing they did. No matter what it was, she couldn't find any interest in anything. Well, almost anything...

There was but one thing she enjoyed about the orphan house, or rather, one person: Miss Lelend. The only problem was she rarely seen around the house, always locked away in her study. Elena wondered countless times what she could be doing in the room that was deemed off limits by Jaufrei. Elena knew was extremely bright, able to piece together information and form a logical answer. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't come up with a conclusive reason to what Miss Lelend might be doing behind locked doors.

In fact, the only time anyone saw her was the rare moments when she would have time speak to the children. The kids would huddle eagerly around her and sit at her feet as she spoke, looking up at her in awe and amazement. Elena would listen in the back as she answered questions or told stories to the children. Out of everything they did, the only thing Elena found interesting was when Miss Lelend would speak. She always gave an answer that seemed to ask more questions, spark more interest. Elena was fascinated by Miss Lelend, but could never muster the courage to speak to her. She only listen as she answered questions.

"I try to look at things from multiple perspectives." Ellien was telling one day as everyone had gathered around her, sitting and listening intently. "I gather facts based on what each element in the problem is and assess each one individually. Once you look at a situation from a different angle, you can then piece them together to form the solution to the problem."

A young girl raised her hand. "Is that why you always turning your head when looking at something?"

"No." Ellien replied simply. "My neck just gets sore sometimes. That or my vision is going away..."

Everyone laughed except Elena, who was silently watching out of the corner of her eye as she pretended to read a book. _"How can someone so intelligent be so childish at the same time..."_

Once the laughter had subsided, another hand shot up from the group of children, this time from a young boy sitting at her feet.

"Miss Lelend, have you ever had a scary dream, or something that your afraid of?" The young boy asked, curiosity filled in his eyes.. "Like a witch or a zombie?"

"Something that scares me..." Ellien repeated, pondering the question. "Well, I am quite afraid of the dark..."

"Hey, me too!" A boy said, smiling cheerfully.

"I don't like the dark either..." A girl said quietly.

"Ya, especially the demons that lurk underneath your bunk at night." Another kid said. "They're the worst!"

"Y-your just lying!" The girl replied, a slight fear in her eyes. "Demons are just made up, right Miss Lelend?"

Ellien closed her eyes and sighed. "Actually Stephi, he's right. Demons do exist."

A shocked gasp came from the group of children, causing Elena to look up slightly from her book again. _"This is completely childish...Demons are just made up...That's fact..."_

"You see everyone, there are many types of demons in the world." Ellien explained to the children, closing her eyes. "Demons that search and try to do harm where ever they can."

Her eyes reopened, and Elena herself staring at them, and Ellien staring at her, a serious look in her eyes. "Demons are everywhere in this world. Demons who hide in the shadows, demons who seek to harm others, demons who try to kidnap others, and finally, demons who use others and manipulate them to their own goals."

Elena slowly lowered her book, becoming more and more interesting with each word Ellien spoke. Every word she said flowed swiftly. Smoothly. Gracefully.

"Demons who control others are especially annoying and tricky. They are much more intelligent and cunning then other demons. They pretend to be just like you when in fact they are in reality the complete oppisite. They live and breathe, even though they're not alive at all. They learn, even though they don't have a desire to be educated. They offer friendship, only to gain others trust. And they control the weak and the innocent, till the very person they use is swallowed up by darkness and cast aside."

"You see children, that is what I'm truly afraid of." Ellien said, staring silently off into space. "Not the darkness, but the demons that dwell within it. If I were to ever to meet such a demon, I know it would gain control me, and then I would be swallowed up by the darkness, lost forever."

Ellien stared out at everyone "There are demons out there hiding in the shadows, waiting to harm you, make no mistake about that. But as long as your with me, you are safe. I promise you that."

A loud ringing from the clock tower told everyone that it was five in the afternoon, and Ellien rose from her chair.

"That's all the time I can spare for now." She said, dusting herself off. "Everyone, follow Jaufrei and get ready for supper."

Every child moaned but reluctantly filed out down the hall towards the dining room. Elena picked herself up and was about to followed the others when Ellien stopped her, causing her to become surprised for the first time since she stepped foot in the children house.

"Miss Elena, if you could follow me." Ellien said, heading for the stairs. "I want to talk to you."

Elena stared at her in silent shock, but with curiosity she had never felt before in her life. Miss Lelend never spoke to anyone individually, save for Jaufrei. It was an honor for her, to have Miss Lelend all to herself, but at the same time, suspicious of why she had picked her.

Elena Zakhaev picked up her book and silently followed Ellien up the steps, trying to answer the question in her head that she never found an answer for.

Yet, that is.

* * *

Elena followed her mysterious host up to the top floor off the orphan house, one that was off limits to everyone. She was led through a large oak door and into dimly lit office. The first thing that stuck her was how many books were in one small room. Not only was every wall shelved with books, but books were stacked on top of one another on the floor, nearly reaching the ceiling. They were all stacked in perfect straight towers, all forming nice rows and columns in the room. Elena was in awe. She had never seen so many books in one place.

Ellien caught her staring at the books and smiled. "I like to read."

"H-Have you...Have you read all of them?" Elena asked, staring up at the tower of books.

"No." Ellien replied. "Not yet at least."

Ellien approached Elena and leaned down next to her eye level, staring at her with her green and blue eyes. "You like to read too, right?"

Elena nodded silently, causing Ellien to smile. "Your pretty bright for your age, you know that?"

Elena looked away shyly. "What makes you say that..."

"I've seen you, how you act towards the other children." Ellien said. "Your different, different in a way that you see the world in a different perceptive. One that only you can see it in. One that you and I share."

Ellien placed her hands on Elena shoulders. "You have a gift, just like me. You have something that not many have, something that separates you from the rest."

Elena blushed. "Which is?"

"Perception."

"Perception?" Elena repeated. "The act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind you mean?"

Ellien couldn't help but smile. "You remind me of myself when I was your age. So smart, yet so innocent."

Elena couldn't help but smile shyly at her complement. For the first time in her life, she felt understood. She had always felt cold, but now, for this first time, she felt warm. Understood. Wanted. She actually felt happy, and that she could be appreciated for the first time. She felt like she was finally understanding herself better. Miss Lelend, a woman she had rarely seen, had just become her best friend.

"You want to learn?" Ellien asked, standing up. "Do you want to help solve problems that no one can seem to solve?"

Elena looked up at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked in a small voice.

"Demons exist in this world Elena." Ellien said, staring towards window at the gray sky outside. "My job is to stop those demons from harming anyone, and making the world safer in the process."

She held out her hand. "Elena, the world is a dangerous place, one that's filled with people who would harm others, including me. I want to give the world justice against these types of people, but my safety isn't guaranteed. If something were to happen to me, there needs to be someone who would take my place if such happenings were to take place."

Elena stared at her open hand. "What are you saying?" She asked, staring in wonder.

"I want you to learn from me, become like me." Ellien explained. "I can teach you so much. You'll become my protege."

* * *

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	42. Perspective Perception

Weeks turned to months. Months into Years. Elena found each passing day more and more easy, now having someone that finally understood her for what she was. Each day of teaching, each lecture that she spent with Miss Lelend seemed to last forever, and she enjoyed every minute of it.

They spent countless hours in her office, reading books of different topics. Science, Literature, Mathematics, Writing, Music, anything and everything was taught by Miss Lelend, and she knew everything like a master.

Elena was always shy when Miss Lelend would complement her, saying she was the only person she had meet that could keep up with her teachings, or how smart and bright she was for her young age. She could say things without any emotion in her words, yet Elena would be filled with so much emotion because of it.

_"This is what Jaufrei meant that one time..."_ Elena thought one time while reading Shakespeare with Miss Lelend. _"This must what it feels like to have a true friend..."_

The more Elena learned, the more aware she became with her surroundings. Miss Lelend always told her not to look at her environment, but around it to learn the true facts. Figure out what is around everything, learn about the surroundings, and fill in the facts based on the information gathered.

No matter what Elena was taught, she enjoyed every second of it. She was becoming something she had never even considered herself being worthy of.

She was becoming Miss Lelend's prodigy.

Early one snowy winter's day, Elena walked up the same flight of steps to the same office where she would learn from Miss Lelend, just like she always had. She walked up to the familiar oak door and knocked three times, just as she did everyday. She was wondering what they were going to learn today. Roman history? Maybe early human sociological patterns? The list was endless.

"Please come in." A voice said behind the oak door, which Elena instantly recognized as Ellien's. She quietly pulled the oak door and proceeded quietly inside.

Ellien was looking over a stack of papers on her desk. She looked up as she recognized Elena walk in.

"Ah, right on time as always." Ellien said, getting up from her desk. "I have a special lesson planned today. Follow me."

"What kind of lesson?" Elena asked, curious but with no sense of curiousity in her words.

"You'll see..." Ellien said, grabbing her coat and proceeded to the door. Intrigued, Elena followed behind her, wondering what she had in store.

The two walked out of the orphanage and passed the gate into the forest. Elena clutched her arms together, keeping warm as the two trotted through the snow. The walked for about five minutes before they stopped in a small quiet clearing in the forest.

"Right, this will do." Ellien said, turning around to Elena. "Now then, use what I've taught you. What can you tell me about this place?"

"Were in the middle of the forest, in the middle of January, approximately 753 meters from the childrens home." Elena answered, observing the surroundings. "The air is approximately 9 degrees, and there is 3 and a half inches of snow."

Ellien nodded. "Good, and who is in this place?"

"Me and you."

She nodded again. "Good. Now for the lesson itself. Today I am going to teach you something only you can learn. It's why I chose you Elena. It's why your here right now."

"I'm ready to learn." Elena said quietly, watching her breath in the cold air. If Miss Lelend chose her, then she would be able to do it. There was no doubt in her mind.

"I'm going to teach you something called Perspective Perception." Ellien explained. "It's something that takes years to master, but something that will save your life on day, I can promise you that."

"Perspective Perception?" Elena repeated, confused. "What is that?"

"Perhaps a demonstration would be better then an explanation in this situation." Ellien said with a small smile.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a slender silver pen. Elena studied the pen. Nothing remarkable could be seen about it, it looked just like a normal pen. Ellien held it in front of her and began to twirl it in her hand, watching the pen spin in front of her. As it traveled from one finger to the next, she explained her lesson.

"Now Elena, I want you to think of a number between 1 and 10." Ellien instructed. "It can be any number, what ever you want."

Elena thought carefully, picking a number in her head. She wanted to test Miss Lelend, to see if she could still amaze her yet. After a few seconds of quiet thinking, she had her number.

_"9.91..."_ Elena thought to herself. _"Miss Lelend said I could pick any number I wanted...Even a decimal..."_

"Okay." Elena finally replied. "I got it."

Ellien stopped the pen in her hand and closed her eyes. "9.91."

Elena stood frozen in shock at the sound of the number being called. Exactly. Exactly right. There was no way she could have guessed, no possible way. It was impossible.

_"H-How..." _Elena asked herself silently in her mind. _"How did she?..."_

"I told you_._" Ellien replied simply. "Perspective Perception."

Elena was surprised again for the second time in the same number of seconds, but she quickly narrowed her eyes, relying on the logic and reasoning that she knew so well. She wasn't convinced, not even by Miss Lelend. This had to be a simple magic trick, nothing more.

"I want to pick a different number." Elena said sharply. "This time between 1 and 1000."

A sly smile appeared at the corners of Ellien's mouth, and she began spinning the pen in her hand again.

"Alright." She said, watching the silver pen. "Go right ahead."

_"342.234648..."_ Elena thought to herself, now confident she had found a number that Ellien couldn't guess.

"I've got-

"342.234648." Ellien answered before Elena could finished.

Elena's eyes stood wide in silent shock. This wasn't logical. No form of logic could even encompass such a thought. No, not even possible. This had to be a dream, that's the only way.

"Perspective Perception." Ellien said, stopping the pen in her hand and staring at Elena. "The lesson I'm going to teach you."

Ellien walked over to Elena and stood beside her, staring up at the trees. Snow was slowly beginning to fall, drifting down to earth silently as the pair stood in the snow.

"You know, I had such a radical dream when I was your age. I thought I could figure out anything so long as I put my mind to it." Ellien said to her, continuing to watch the snow fall. "I told myself if I could learn everything, I would be able to solve anything. To that end, I tried to learn as much as I could."

Ellien laughed slightly and smiled to herself. "I actually thought I could learn literally everything..."

"And did you?" Elena asked with absolute seriousness. She was actually convinced that Miss Lelend knew everything now, after all that she had seen and been from taught her.

Ellien shook her head. "Ironically, in trying to learn everything, it became clear that such a feat was impossible, impractiable. There is an infinate amount of knowledge in this world, and it increses expotentionally, so much that not even I can learn fast enough to keep up with it. The world always has knew mysteries, new unknowns. It was in that realization that I knew such a task was impossible."

"New problems with different, never before seen solutions." Elena said quietly. "Even a genius can't no that answer to everything at an immediate time."

Ellien nodded. "Precisly. So to that end, I knew I had to find another way. Thats when I discovered Perspective Perception. The ability to perdict a person's actions before they happen. The reason why I can stop anyone, no matter who they are."

"How did you even discover such an idea?" Elena asked.

"In honestly, I didn't actually discover it." Ellien admitted, something Elena had never seen. "You see, it literally came to me natrually."

"How could something so extrordinary come natrually?"

"When I was eleven, was sick and bedridden, just like any orphan right now." Ellien explained. "Jaufrei was the one taking care of me at the time, and asked me if I needed anything. I said I was fine and that rest is the best remedy for the cold virus."

"And then?"

"I don't know what came over me, but suddenly, I heard a voice." Ellien replied. "It was Jaufrei's, but he hadn't said an audible word. Nevertheless, I heard him, clear as day, as if he had just said it right in front of me."

"What did the voice say?"

"It said just as what I thought Jaufrei would say in the situation. 'She's just trying to avoid taking medicine again.' where the exact words I heard. So natrually, I replied, telling him that I'm not refusing medicine, I just know that it doesn't work."

"And what kind of response did such an act envoke?" Elena asked, wondering what it was like for the old man.

"The same as yours." Ellien replied with a small smile on her face. "Complete shock. After I had realized what had happened, We both knew that I had figured out the solution to my problem. I knew that this was the answer."

Ellien got on her knees to Elena's eye level, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Elena, do you know what the most powerful weapon in this entire world?"

Elena thought to herself, remembering all she had been taught, all she had learned over the years. History was a record book of bloodshed, conflicts and wars dotting across history's blueprint as a natrual occurance. She thought of all the life lost, what weapons were used, and what kind of people used them. She thought of every weapon, and finally came up with her answer.

"A weapon of mass destruction." Elena finally replied, confident in her answer. Despite her confidence, Ellien shook her head.

"Incorrect." Ellien replied. "The most powerful weapon in the world is simply, an idea."

"An idea?" Elena repeated.

Ellien nodded. "Everyone has them. An idea for what to do, an idea on what to like and dislike. Ideas on how to plan, how to act. Ideas are everywhere, and everyone has them."

"But it depends on the idea, doesn't it?" Elena asked. "It depends on what idea you have, right?"

"That is only one part of the equation." Ellien explained. "The other part, is just as important. For an idea, is nothing without the individual behind it."

"The one who tries to make the idea a reality." Elena completed.

"That's right." Ellien replied. "Sometimes, that individual is weakminded, gives up or simply quits. But once in a rare while, an individual comes along with an idea, an idea so terrible that it's only goal is to cause the suffering of others. And the one behind such an idea, has a will and motivation to make such an idea a definate reality."

"Is that what you meant by demons that one time when you where asked what you were afraid of?" Elena asked, remembering back to the day.

Ellien nodded grimly. "That's right Elena. Demons."

"Each of us has ideas, dreams, motivations for doing what we do." Ellien said, staring up at the sky. "My dream is to see a world were such ideas never exist. That's what I do Elena. I stop such perople and their ideas before they harm others."

"And that's what I'll do too?" Elena asked.

Ellien smiled. "Eventually, if your up to the challenge. But we still have a lot of ground to cover. I still have to teach you Perspective Perception."

"Oh, right... Sorry, I didn't mean-"

Ellien held up her hand. "No need to apoligize, I got off topic anyhow."

Elena smiled shyly and nodded. "Right. Whats first then?"

"A present." Ellien said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small brown package.

Elena looked at her in confusion. "But it isn't even Christimas yet."

"No, but it's part of your lesson." Ellien explained, handing her the package. "It will help you."

"How?" Elena asked, looking over the brown, paper rapped package in her hand. It was small enough to fit ier palm, and was perfectly square.

"You see this pen." Ellien asked, holding up the same silver pen that Elena had seen her twriling minutes ago.

"Yes, what about it?" Elena asked, staring at it in confusion. "It's just a pen, nothing more."

"True, to you and everyone else." Ellien replied, studying the pen in her hand. "But to me, it's an item of great importance, given to me by my teacher when I was your age. It's a totem."

"Totem? You mean like a charm?"

"Precisely." Ellien replied. "You see, in order for you to predict someone's actions, you need to have a great deal of cognitive thinking already aquired, something that you natrually have. Secondly, you need to have your mind void of any thought, something that was even hard for me."

"For hours, I tried and tried to predict Jaufrei, concentrating as hard as I could, but nothing worked." Ellien replied. "I thought back to the time I had been able to predict him, and realized that I had been half asleep when I did it, some what semi-conscious. I realized it was my own thinking preventing me. I realize that the answer wasn't thinking hard, but not thinking at all."

"So you just cleared you mind." Elena said. "You just left your mind in a blank state."

"Easier said then done, I soon found out. I found it difficult trying to listen to someone speak while trying to keep my head clear. I knew that my will wasn't strong enough, and I needed to keep my brain occupied with something that required no thought."

Ellien held up the silver pen. "Hence, this 'totem."

Elena looked down at the brown package in her hands. "And this is my totem then?"

"Think of it more as a present." Ellien said, walking back towards the orphan house. "I know how you like puzzles anyway. When your ready, we can begin the lesson back at the house. I'll see you there."

As Ellien walked away, Elena began to unfold the brown packaging that was around the present. As she unwrapped, she wondered what kind of present Ellien had gotten her, and if she would like it or not. What was she thinking, of course she would like it. It was from Miss Lelend after all. Anything she got for her, would be perfect.

As the final string came undone, Elena removed the package and found the totem Ellien had given her.

It was a simple rubix cube.

* * *

"Over the years, I continued to learn from her, constantly learning problem solving skills as well as other forms of knowledge." Elena said, staring up at the ceiling.

"Including this Perspective Perception?" Makarov asked, looking intently at Elena.

Elena nodded, staring at the rubix cube on her lap. "Eventually. But yes, I did."

Makarov narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself. _"This explains how Ellien was able to predict my moves during the chess game. She even told me herself...Such a skill would be invaluable to have..."_

Suddenly, an idea formed in Makarov's mind, one that he was dying to have.

"Elena, is it possible for you to teach this?"

"You might as well give it up." Elena said in her usual tone. "Perspective Perception can only be learned when your young. Plus, you don't even have enough intelligence to even encompass such an idea in your head. Teaching you would be a waste of both our time."

Makarov fists clentched in his lap. If anything annoyed him more, it was being called unintelligent. A very deadily mistake to most, but Elena was the one of the few that could get away with it, especially with someone as useful as Elena Zakhaev.

"Fine." Makarov said, getting up from his chair. "Like I would care about your childish stories of ESP power and other obsurd fantasies."

Elena smiled and closed her eyes. "What ever convinces you then..."

"Also, one last thing." Makarov said, remembering a question he had been meaning to ask. "What happened to you then. How come when I found you, you were half dead in a cell."

"Ah yes, that." Elena said, remembering the events that had happened nearly a year before. "That...Is another story. For another time."

Makarov narrowed his eyes, not wanting to bother arguing with such an impossible person. "Fine. Then one last question."

"If you must..."

"Ellien named you her prodigy, meaning you were going to take over her work once she died, correct?"

Elena paused. "Yes. I would have taken over her work as well as running the orphanage, if that's the answer your seeking."

"If that's the case, then answer this then." Makarov said, crossing his arms. "If you were captured, then what happened? Did she teach someone else this after you vanished. Is there someone else out there that took your place?"

Elena opened her mouth to speak, but for the first time, Makarov had given her a question she had no answer for. Makarov waited, studying each expression on her face. Nothing, just blank thought.

"I do not know." Elena said quietly.

"So you were her only prodigy?" Makarov asked. "You were the only one?"

"I do not know..."

"There was no one else?" Makarov repeated, making sure. "No one at all?"

Finally, Elena shook her head, causing Makarov's eyes to darken.

"Then I just need to kill her." Makarov said, already seeing his victory. "Then no one will stand in my way."

Wrong. Dead wrong in fact. A rare moment for Vladimir Makarov, as well as Elena Zakhaev.

* * *

Ellien Lelend walked silently down the halls of the OSI headquarters, heading to a room that was only known to her and Jaufrei. It was a well kept secret, one that no one in the investigation team was to know about. Only she knew the passcode to the door, and she wasn't about to give it up anytime soon. Not to Sedusky. Definately not to Vasily. Not even Jaufrei.

As she walked, she thought about the problem in her mind, one that had been bugging her for a while.

_"Something isn't right here, I'm missing part of the equation..." _Ellien thought as she neared her destination. _"If the persona of Vladimir Makarov is indeed awakened, why is he still trying to cover up that's he's Yuri Vasily? It doesn't make sense, it puts him at an unneeded disadvantage...There must be a reason behind it, something that he's seeking...But what?..."_

Ellien reached the door and put her hand on the sensor. The device scanned her hand and she spoke into the small speaker, giving her voice password. The computer took a brief second processing the infomation before the door slid open and she proceeded inside the secret room.

Ellien covered her eyes slightly upon entering. The entire room was white, floor, walls, and ceiling. A bed sat in the corner, made neatly, and toys were scattered around. As Ellien stepped inside, the door closed behind her, leaving her as well as another individual alone in the room.

"Jonathan." Ellien said, staring down at the young boy sitting on the floor. He was on his knees on the floor, looking at a small watch, watching it's hands move as time moved on.

"Jonathan White." Ellien repeated, waiting for the boy to turn around. "Jonathan, it's me."

The boy slowly rose his head and turned around. Ellien looked at him. He was just the way she had left him. Same pale face, same clothes, same bored expression. She bent down and moved a small stand of gray pale hair from his forehead, looking in his eyes. They were the only things with color in them. Pale blue, and void of any kind of emotion.

"I brought you your dinner nearly an hour ago." Ellien said, glancing towards a tray sitting on the table. "Your not hungry?"

The boy shook his head, turning back to his small pocketwatch he was watching. Ellien studied him, wondering what he was thinking.

_"He's been more and more quieter the usual..."_ Ellien thought silently to herself._ "Maybe he's beginning to wonder what's going on..."_

"I'll be back in about two hours." Ellien said, heading for the door. "We'll start the lesson then."

Jonathan said nothing as Ellien exited. He just continued to watch the seconds on the clock tick by, just watching the hands slowly moved.

The door behind Ellien closed as soon as she left the white room. She leaned against the door, closing her eyes and beginning to think deeply.

"Jonathan White..." Ellien said to herself, thinking about the past. "My prodigy..."

* * *

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	43. Unlikely Partnership

Sore. That was the perfect word to describe Matthew Webb as he finally slowly reopened his heavy and tired eyes. Yes, very sore, like he had just woken from a coma. Even without moving his body, he knew that every muscle and fiber ached inside him, completely devoid of strength. But despite the feeling, he felt very comfortable at the same time, a feeling of peace, like nothing could hurt him anymore.

_"Am I dead?" _Webb thought to himself, eyes still closed.

He slowly opened his eyes to answer that very question. The light caused him to wince slightly to slowly adjust to the brightness He found himself staring up at a discolored white ceiling, with the paint chipping off. Heaven or Hell, this definitely wasn't either of them.

_"So I'm not dead..._" Webb thought to himself, staring up at the ceiling. _"Then where am I?"_

He glanced down at himself and found that he was lying in bed, tucked in, and his wounds sustained now healed. It was like he was back in the safehouse somehow, safe with the others.

But something wasn't right. This wasn't the safehouse. This was something else. Something unrecognizable. What happened...

Webb thought hard back to the course of events before he remembered blacking out. Even though his memory was usually well above average, he found it hard trying to replay the hundreds of different sequences that landed him in a bed in a room that he had no idea where he was.

_"Two people...gunshots...explosions...yelling...pain...running...more yelling...more pain...then black..."_

Webb closed his eyes, trying to remember anything before he blacked out, something that could tell him where he was. He had to think a few times, but eventually, his memory jogged and he finally remembered seeing someone right before he fell unconscious. Someone he had seen before...

Webb realization slowly stirred inside him. _"If my memory is right, then that means..."_

A click of a gun caused Webb to freeze. He glanced over from the bed to a individual sitting at the side whom he hadn't noticed was there before. She was exactly the one who he remembered just before he passed out. Same hair. Same eyes. Same face. His shadow.

"Don't move." The young woman said in smooth English.

Webb narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"That's not the question for me, but for you." The woman replied, pistol still raised. "I know who you are, Matthew Webb."

Webb was instantly paralyzed in a state of shock by her words. _"What?...How could she know!...No... The question is how much does she know..."_

Webb tried to relax and look at the situation in it's entirety. "Well, judging by the fact that I'm not in a cell, your definitely not the police." Webb said calmly, studying her and the weapon she held. "And the fact that your holding me at gunpoint makes me believe that your not part of my 'friends' either."

He raised an eyebrow. "So which are you? Enemy, or just someone confused?"

She responded by placing the gun on his temple. "The only reason your still alive is because you have information that I want." She said coldly. "And unless you want to find out what a bullet feels like too, then I suggest you start answering?"

"Information?" Webb repeated. "On what?"

"I know who you are Webb." She said, standing over him. "Your a killer. A terrorist. You follow someone that aids in the devastation of lives. Your a desperate animal, and your life means little to me."

"A terrorist..." Webb said to himself, feeling the barrel placed on his head. "And aren't you just the same, working for a killer yourself?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I told you before." Webb explained calmly.. "You can't be the police, and you couldn't be an American 'terrorist' like you describe. The only possibility is a third party, and through process of elimination, you have to work for one person and one person only."

Webb smiled in his answer. "Vladimir Makarov."

She narrowed her eyes. "So you know what's at stake then?"

"Stake? What's at stake?"

"Your life!" She yelled, pointing the gun at him again. "Your going to die unless you give me the information!"

"On what?" Webb yelled back, glaring at her. "You think I'm stupid? You've been following me for three weeks, and then you rescue me, and now your interrogating me at gunpoint while I'm in bed! Who the hell are you and what do you want from me?"

"The Patriot." She said, ignoring his question. "Where is the Patriot?"

Webb nearly laughed at the irony. "What? You trying to find him too?"

"You think I'm joking?" She said, fire in her eyes. "I'm going to kill you right here if you don't tell me!"

Webb sighed. "If I knew where, I would have already found him..." He answered.

Her pistol lowered slightly, the emotion brought down by his words. "What?" She asked, stunned. "You don't know?"

Webb shook his head. "Nope. I don't."

Her eyes narrowed, the pistol back in his face. "Your lying."

"No, I'm not." Webb replied, staring down the barrel of the gun. "I told you. If I knew where, I would be there in a instant. But I don't know where, and I can't answer your question."

Webb crooked his head. "Is that why you've been following me all this time? So you can help Vladimir Makarov find the Patriot?"

She lowered the pistol and slowly sank back into her chair. "Yes." She said quietly. "That's why..."

"And to help Vladimir Maka-

"No!" She yelled, causing Webb to flinch. "I would never help that rabid animal!"

"But you said-

"I know what I said!" She replied in harsh anger, her gun shaking in her hand. "But I don't...I mean I...I just...

She tried to find words, but just couldn't. She sank down in to her chair, head bowed in defeat.

"I just thought you would have the answer." She said quietly. "I thought you would be the key to solving all my problems..."

"Sorry to disappoint." Webb murmured, studying her. It didn't make sense to him. He knew she had to work for Vladimir Makarov, or whoever was posing as him. But yet, she seemed so against him, so turned, so independent of him. It didn't make any sense.

"How did you know my name?" Webb finally managed, asking out of curiosity.

"After the attack, I hacked into the police database." She explained quietly. "It was only on there for a brief period, but it was enough to figure out one of the American terrorist names. I found another mentioning of your name in the investigation of a murdered scientist. The police turned up prints, matching to a Matthew Webb, giving them a photo of you as well. It was sheer luck I ran into you one day, but I recognized you and knew it was a rare moment of opportunity I couldn't pass up."

"So you followed me." Webb said. "And did you tell anyone else about me?"

She shook her head.

"Why?"

"Because I've lost sight of the whole concept of trust." She said sarcastically, glancing out the window. "I won't go into details, but lets just assume I know I little bit about backstabbing."

"Enough to not trust your boss?"

She smiled slightly and nodded. "Something like that..."

"Then trust me." Webb said, going out on a limb. "Whats your name."

She looked at him carefully before giving her answer. "Anya. Anya Annamarie Kosov."

"It's nice to meet you Anya Annamarie Kosov." Webb said politely. "And thank you by the way."

She raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For rescuing me." Webb reminded her as he carefully got out of bed. "And saving me from the police."

He looked down at his ankle. It had been stitched up quite well for not being in a hospital. And all the other wounds had been cleaned and bandaged. Who ever Anya was, she definitely had a well rounded knowledge on first aid.

"I did it because you would have information." Anya replied, her arms crossed. "And that whole plan is now long gone."

Webb looked at Anya, an idea forming in his head. Here was an opportunity no one else had but him. A chance to finally end the war, find Vladimir Makarov, and clear the United States name of any wrong doing. He would do it all through her, and he would get what he wanted in the process as well.

"Tell me Anya..." Webb started, choosing his words carefully. "How loyal are you to Vladimir Makarov?"

A careful Anya looked over at Webb. "Why do you ask?"

"Because it just seems like you two don't see eye to eye on many things." Webb said, walking to the window. "I mean, would you follow every order given to you from him? Would you do anything for him?"

He glanced over at her. "Would you die for him?"

Silence was the only answer Anya gave. An answer that was good enough for Webb.

"Let me tell you something. Your not the only one trying to find the Patriot."

"What?" Anya said, looking at Webb in surprise. "Your looking for the Patriot too?"

Webb nodded. "Its a long story, but it's true. I want to find this individual, whoever he or she is."

"Why?" Anya asked. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"It's just like you." Webb explained. "I don't trust my superiors either. I don't know who to trust. The only thing I care about, is ending this conflict once and for all, and everyone causing it."

Then Webb saw a look in Anya's eyes, one that was pure surprise. He had her now, he knew it. This was what he had been waiting for. The opportunity that he had been looking for years and years. The chance to find Vladimir Makarov, and end this once and for all.

"Together." Webb said, presenting a hand. "I'll stop Vladimir Makarov's once and for all.

"Together." Anya said, holding out her hand. "I'll help you find the Patriot."

"Together." The both said, holding hands. "Together will end this once and for all."

"And gain back my freedom." Anya said, looking out the window.

Webb nodded, looking out towards the Moscow skyline.

_"And fulfill my dream..."_

* * *

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	44. A New Trail

"With numerous on confirmed casualties regarding the incident, authorities are still unable to give the public a solid statement. Most of the fire has been put under control, and patients from Moscow Central have been relocated safely. We'll bring you live reports from the site periodically as they unfold. I'm Tanya Evn-

Sedusky clicked the remote power, turning the Plasma flat screen off. "So what you were telling me is that the four were there?" He asked, looking over at Ellien, tapping keystroke after keystroke on the supercomputer.

"Yes, no doubt about it." Ellien replied, continuing to type. "It seems like they're the four to carry out executive orders from the Patriot himself. The question is why them..."

"A possible connection?" Sedusky suggested, thinking through the possibilities. "Or maybe even a direct link to a chain of command?"

"Terrorist and radical groups don't have a 'chain of command'." Ellien said. "They're organized by who has the most power, and who has the least."

"Then who was the leader?"

"It was Miller, yes the pale haired one." Ellien recalled, thinking briefly. "Nathaniel Miller, on his file correct?"

"Yes..." Sedusky said quietly, studying the Miller's file. "Ex-U.S army sapper. Qualified for special forces and made 1st Lieutenant. Assigned to Special operations group in the Afghan mountains a year later, and then his record goes dark. Not much to go on it seems..."

"For now." Ellien said, running through data records. " But lets run through the other members files, and cross check for any connections. Miller is the prime suspect, as he's the closet link we have. But the other three members will most likely lead us to him as well, if we find them of course."

Sedusky sighed, glancing at the clock. "If we find them..."

"Sorry, 'when' we find them. Is that better? Does that brighten your mood?"

Sedusky gave a half smile, still not sure if Ellien was being sarcastic or not. "Yes, it does..." He said quietly.

He took a sip of coffee and looked at the other three USSA members. _"Williams. Beckett. Webb. Miller. The four patriots..."_

"By the way, have you seen Vasily?" Sedusky asked, noticing that only he and Ellien were the only ones still at the OSI HQ. "I didn't realize he was gone until now."

"I sent him home, as the other members." Ellien explained, not looking up from her work.

"Are you sure that's safe, just sending him-

"I do everything for a reason Sedusky, and this has a reason." Ellien replied swiftly. "I don't want him to get overly protective. I need him to open up. Find out what he's after. This is the best move."

"I sure hope your right..." Sedusky said, still unconvinced. "Because It's driving me crazy what he's doing right now..."

_"What ever Makarov is planning next at least..."

* * *

  
_Vladimir Makarov glanced down at his watch, watching the sun set above the Moscow skyline. He was right on time, and yet they continued to test his patience. If this lead was anything like the last one.

The apartment's backdoor opened, causing Makarov to look behind him.

"Anatoly. Victor." Makarov said, watching the two familiar figures emerge from the building.

"Hows it going Vasily?" Anatoly said with a slight grin. "You didn't miss us, did you?"

"If you mean your constant attempts at humor, then no." Makarov replied swiftly, crossing his arms. Anatoly grin just grew.

"Your a horrible liar, you know that?" Anatoly said, pointing at Makarov. "Even you can't fool me."

Makarov sighed and shook his head. "Apparently not."

He turned to Victor. "Now, what did you want to see me. You said it was important?"

Victor nodded seldomly. "We may have found a new trail."

Anatoly frowned. "Well, technically I-

"What do you mean?" Makarov asked, his interest sparked. "To the Patriot."

Victor nodded. "A couple of weeks ago, a nightclub owner by the name of Karl Davidenko was questioned by the police. The allegations were never explained, but he was released. A day afterwords, his record of ever being questioned was erased from the police database."

"No doubt Ellien trying to hid the investigation." Makarov said. "There would be no reason unless he was connected with something big."

"That's what I suggested." Anatoly pipped in. "How else could he not have a record. Someone like that doesn't just vanish from the police's databanks."

"You said he was a club owner?" Makarov said, glancing over at Victor.

"Yes. He owns the Yellow Lust. Its on the other side of town."

"Then lets pay Mr. Davidenko a few questions." Makarov said, a dark idea forming in his mind. "Find out what he knows...Maybe have a few drinks over it..."

"We need to wait for Anya." Anatoly said, stopping Makarov. "I asked her to come too."

Makarov sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Fine. Another person to the equation won't effect anything. So long as were not kept waiting for the damn girl..."

"Waiting for who exactly?"

Everyone turned around to see Anya standing behind them in the adjacent, arms on her hips, tapping her foot.

"Well, is it true?" Anya asked. "Are we finally on a trail again?"

"The hell were you?" Anatoly asked, giving her a weird look.

"Errands." Anya replied simply.

"Oh of course..." Anatoly said, rolling his eyes. "Errands."

"Enough." Makarov stated, silencing everyone. "We're going now."

"Are we going to be arrested if we follow you?" Anya asked suspiciously. "After all, someone like you would be followed. And hanging around you would be a prison sentence."

"You can rest assured, that will not be an outcome." Makarov said, glancing over at Anya. "Besides, it will be fun. You like having fun, right?"

"Ya. Fun." Anya repeated, glaring at Makarov. "Just perfect..."

"Then lets go and pay Mr. Davidenko a visit shall we?" Makarov said, heading towards the street to hail a taxi. "Who knows, this might be interesting getting him to talk?"

"You think you can get him to talk?" Anya asked, still unconvinced of his plans.

Makarov just smiled darkly. "I'll make him sing."

* * *

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	45. Playing the Game

Makarov shielded himself from the frozen hail of rain as he hurried cross the street, followed closely by the Victor, Anatoly, and Anya. The rain had drenched them in just a matter of minutes when it had began to fall, and it quickly made everyone cold, miserable, and chilled to the bone.

Anatoly was shivering as he trudged through the rain. "W-W-Why does it have to be so c-c-cold..." He said shivering, hands stuffed in his coat.

Anya smiled at his bad tolerance to the cold. "Beats winter at least, right?"

Anatoly managed a smile. "T-T-True..." He said, glancing over at her. "Though I rather be d-d-dry."

Makarov stopped and looked up at the large yellow neon sign hung above the street. Right address. Right name. Right club. Karl Renko, club owner of 'Yellow Lust' was here, and supposedly the only lead he had.

"This is it." Makarov said, looking up at the yellow neon sign. "He should be inside."

Victor glanced at the security standing outside. "I'm sure there's more inside as well."

"We don't need to start a fight to get what we need here." Makarov replied, heading towards the entrance. "We just need to meet with the man, not have him at gun point."

Eager to get out of the rain, the group quickly entered the club, shaking the rain out of their coats and trying to get the feeling back into their limbs. Makarov glanced around the club, listening to the loud erratic music, his eyes bombarded with bright light.

"This place is going to give me a headache..." Makarov muttered to Victor. "Lets find Renko and get the hell out of here."

The group quickly made their way across the sea of people either dancing, drinking, or doing both at the same time. Makarov couldn't stand such a place, almost fit for a zoo for animals. Everyone acting so childishly in such large numbers. It made him wonder if intelligence existed in this world anymore.

After ducking and weaving through drunk after drunk, the group made it to the door of the Club's private lounge, the door guarded by a man nearly twice the size of Makarov, a towering giant with a shaven head.

"VIP's only." The guard stated, not moving an inch. "Get lost."

Makarov began to use his silver tongue. "Forgive us, but we have business with Mr. Renko. It's short notice, but I'm sure you understand. Such circumstances must be common in your line of work."

"No, they're not." The guard said, glaring down at Makarov. "No one is permitted unless personally allowed by Mr. Renko himself. Now I suggest you get lost."

Makarov waved his finger. "I don't think so. Maybe if you went and got your employer, he would-

"No." The guard said, interrupting Makarov before his could finish. "Now leave."

Makarov sighed. He couldn't persuade everyone, especially a troll with the IQ of a rock. But he wasn't about to leave empty handed, and there was always more then one way around guard with an intelligence problem.

"Very well, I tried." Makarov admitted, submitting. "Victor, please persuade this gentlemen to let us by."

Victor didn't waste a second after Makarov issued the order. He swiftly walked up to the guard and pulled out a hidden hand held tazer from his pocket. He pressed the small device against the man's burly side, delivering a painful charge of crippling electricity to his body. In a matter of seconds, the guard was slumped in Victor's arms, out cold.

"Well, that's one way of doing it." Anya muttered as she watched Victor prop the guard in a nearby chair. "Tell me, do you always knock people out when they don't give you what you want?"

"Not all the time." Makarov said under his breath, ignoring her smart remark. "Unless you had a better idea..."

Anya ignored him and simply opened the now unguarded door to the private lounge. "After you." She said, motioning him inside.

Makarov calmly pasted her, not showing any emotion to her desperate attempts to anger her. Being a leader meant being in control. And giving your subordinates an image of control put them in their place. Of course, there were other ways to administer discipline, but now was not the time for such things.

The group proceeded down the hallway until reaching another dance floor, this one much smaller then the main one, but similar in design. A circular bar was situated in the middle, people drinking and conversing as normal.

Makarov scanned the lounge, looking for the club's owner. Karl Renko was an easy man to spot. Just look for the one person with the most women and drinks, and you have have your answer.

"Found you." Makarov said under his breath, walking towards the club owner. The others followed automatically as Makarov approached the private table with Renko and nearly five other barely clad girls.

Karl was in the middle of wooing one "I swear my dear, your eyes are like sapphires..."

"Karl Renko." Makarov stated, causing the club owner and every girl sitting around him to glance up. Karl looked briefly at Makarov before passing him off as just another nobody.

"And who might you be?" Karl asked, nearly laughing at his question. "Better yet, why should I care?"

Makarov just politely smiled, and dealt his own verbal poison at the club owner.

"Very Interesting..." Makarov said, giving the Club owner a smug look. "So this is the type of man who works with 'Patriots'."

Patriots. That one word was enough to slap Renko out of his fantasy and into the reality of why Makarov was standing before him. It didn't take long for Renko's smug look to be wiped off his face.

He motioned to all the girls around him. "Leave, I have business to attend to."

Quietly and with out question, they all got up and left, leaving Makarov the others alone finally with Renko.

"Amusing..." Makarov said, watching the girls leave. "Tell me, do you spend all your evenings in such company?"

Karl just smiled. "Please sit." Makarov obliged, while the others stood close by. Karl poured himself a drink from a nearby bottle of champagne, filling the glasses.

"Tell me..." Karl said as he filled the glass. "How did you get past the guard?"

"I simply told him that Vladimir Makarov was meeting with you, Mr. Renko." Makarov explained simply. "And that he had much to discuss with you."

Karl stopped pouring, seemingly frozen in place. As he slowly looked up, he realized that the man he was talking to, was none other then Vladimir Makarov himself, sitting right before him.

"You..." Karl started, staring at him in complete shock. "Your suppose to be-

"Dead? Yes, so President Vorshevsky says..."

Karl just stared dumbfounded at Makarov. "You were killed. The news-

"And you believe the news, out of all people." Makarov said, chuckling to himself. "Honestly, I would have figured someone like you not to even care for politics."

Karl gave a small smile, lifting his glass. "Not everything is as it seems."

He took the glass filled with sparkling champagne, bringing it back and drinking it down in one shot. He slammed the glass on the table and let out a sigh of relief.

"So." He said, catching his breath. "What brings the now resurrected Vladimir Makarov to my establishment? Or are you just here to shoot the place up?"

"Information." Makarov said, not blinking an eye. "Rumor has it that you've been helping some pretty dangerous people with your organized crime ring. Is that true?"

Karl laughed. "My friend, in a town such as this, every one who is desperate is dangerous. And I take it your one of the desperate ones?"

"The Patriot." Makarov continued. "I know you supply him."

Surprisingly, Karl admitted it, nodding his head.

"Yes, I do." Karl answered. "In fact, I've become quite profitable at doing it."

"So you know where he is then." Makarov replied, leaning in close. "You know where?"

Karl shook his head, smiling. "I've never dealt with him directly. He always sends someone in his stead to communicate."

"Who?"

Karl studied Makarov carefully. "You know, the Patriot and you aren't very close friends I take it. And since I'm working for him, why should I help you?"

Makarov narrowed his eyes, glaring at Renko. "Because unlike the Patriot, I know who everyone is in this town. I know how crime works. I know all the connections, all the strings and all the wires. I know how everything operates, and I can make your life a living hell. That's why."

Karl smiled, and then began laughing at Makarov, mocking him. "You really think so? Really?"

He glanced over to a group of guards and made a motion with his hand. Makarov watched as nearly half a dozen guards descended on the VIP lounge. In a matter of seconds, the large bouncers had everyone shuffled and escorted swiftly and quietly out of the area, leaving Karl alone with Makarov and the others.

Karl glared at Makarov. "You don't understand the rules anymore, don't you. This is my town. I control the city. Not you."

Makarov stood up, glancing around at Karl's guards now surrounding them. The situation was quickly taking a turn. Running wasn't an option, and weapons were out of the question. Four against eight wasn't good odds, especially when you weren't fighting on your own turf.

"Now this is quite a rare sight." Karl said, walking casually towards Makarov. "Vladimir Makarov, the shadow of Zakhaev, captured by me. Quite a accomplishment..."

He smirked and pretended to think hard. "Should I turn you over to the police? That would be quite profitable. Or maybe the Patriot? The possibilities are quite endless. What do you think I should do?"

"I've been playing this game longer then you." Makarov said, watching Karl pace in front of him. "Last chance."

Karl laughed, shaking his head. "The rules have changed Vladimir Makarov. Time for you to learn them."

With a click of his fingers, all the bouncers in the VIP lounge descended on Makarov, Victor, Anatoly and Anya. All four reacted quickly to the best of their ability. In seconds, they were fighting on the dance floor, fighting an enemy that outnumbered them two to one.

Fighting wasn't a knew concept to Makarov. He knew more then enough tricks to defend himself, but the difficulty wasn't knowing fighting itself. Trying to fight in a nightclub were lights are flashing and loud techno music playing was a sensory overload. Just trying to concentrate was bad enough.

Naturally, all of the guards went for Makarov, but most were quickly distracted by the others, leaving him to fight two by himself. The guards were much larger in size and stronger then Makarov, but not as quick. Dodging punch after punch, Makarov was forced back, trying to come up with a way to turn the tables.

As he was backing up, dodging punch after punch, he nearly fell backward on a set of stairs. Quickly realizing this, he waited for one of the suited guards to throw another attack. The man threw another blow, but Makarov stopped it, grabbing the man's arm and using the momentum of his punch to easily throw him down the small flight of stairs.

The large guard hurtled down the lit steps, flipping before coming to a rest at the bottom, this senses knocked out of him.

Makarov barely had enough time before the other bouncer was on him. The man landed a direct hit to Makarov's chest, knocking the wind out of him. He easily picked Makarov up by his collar and threw him back towards the others. He flew backwards, tripping and landing right into Anya, knocking her to the ground.

"Ow..." Anya said, rubbing her elbow. She glared at Makarov when she realized what had collided with her. "Watch what your-

She didn't finish as a bouncer grabbed her by the collar, picking her up and throwing her back on to the dance floor. Makarov had barely enough time to recover before he suffered the same thing, being picked up to his feet again and thrown into the brawl.

He glanced at the others. Victor was taking three of them on at the same time, and was winning. Anya was still trying to fight off the one holding her by the collar, kicking him in the chest just enough times to knock him to the ground. Anatoly, on the other hand, was on the ground, getting kicked and beat by a single bouncer.

"What's the matter Makarov!" Karl called, laughing and watching the entire fight. "You forget how to dance?"

Makarov ignored him, instead using his growing anger to fight. He was focused on the suited bouncer in front of him. He observed the pattern of punches his threw, calculating his pauses. Once he had it figured out, he sprang his attack to knock out the guard.

He dodged the man's powerful blow, raised his fist, and delivered a clean blow across the man's thick face. The man stumbled back towards the bar, but Makarov wasn't done yet. He delivered a low kick to the man's leg, dropping him to his knee. In the same motion, he delivered a swift uppercut to the man's chin, causing him to fly backwards and lay knocked out on the bar.

Makarov had barely enough time to recover when a set of strong hands grabbed him from behind and threw him over the bar along with Anya, causing him and her to fly into the drink shelve and shattered nearly dozens upon dozens of vodka and other beverages to the clear lit floor.

"Dammit..." Makarov muttered, rubbing his head in pain. "God dammit..."

"Some damn plan you have!" Anya yelled, laying next to him. "Any others you might have up your sleeve?"

Makarov didn't have time to give a sly comment. The large bouncer that had thrown them was standing over them, his foot pressing into Makarov's chest.

"Game over." The bouncer, raising his foot above Makarov's face. The large foot was seconds to crushing Makarov's nose, when the sound of shattering glass from behind the man's head caused him to stop, frozen.

The giant bouncer's eyes slowly rolled and he collapsed to the ground, knock out cold. Makarov looked in complete surprise to see Anatoly standing over them, holding a now shattered champagne bottle.

Anatoly looked at the body. "Hey!" He said, pointing at his small victory. "I did it!"

Makarov breathed a sigh of relief and offered Anatoly's hand to help him up. He looked to see all the guards knocked out, and Victor was with Karl, now holding him by the neck.

"Did you see me?" Anatoly asked Anya, proudly looking at the guard he knocked out. "He never saw it coming!"

Anya grinned and patted Anatoly on the back. "I couldn't have done better my self."

Makarov stepped over body after body and made his way towards Karl, the overconfidence once in his eyes now replaced by fear.

"Please..." He managed as Victor choked him. "Enough..."

Victor didn't listen. Instead, he tightened his grip, causing Karl to gag and cough even more.

Makarov raised his hand, causing Victor to drop Karl to the ground. The club owner gasped for air, glaring up at Makarov.

"You fucking pig!" Karl cursed, coughing up blood. "Go back to your grave."

"That's exactly were I intend to send you, unless you listen to me exactly." Makarov said, standing over him.

Karl spat blood on the floor. "Fine...What the hell do you want from me?"

Makarov pulled a picture from his pocket and handed it to Karl, who looked over it briefly.

"I told you, information." Makarov replied simply. "I want to know all your dealing's with the American terrorists."

"Fine, my computer is in my office." Karl said, glaring at Makarov. "I don't care about their damn cause anyway. Take what you need and get out of here."

"Anatoly." Makarov said, throwing him a flash drive. Anatoly silently nodded and disappeared towards Karl's office to download the files.

"Now leave!"

"No." Makarov said. "Theres something else I need you to handle. A problem that I can't deal with myself."

Makarov pulled a picture from his pocket and handed it to Karl, who looked over it briefly.

"Who is this woman?" Karl asked, looking at the picture.

"Her name is Ellien Lelend." Makarov explained. "She heads up a special investigation unit tasked with stopping the Patriot and myself. I need you to kill her."

"Kill her?"

Makarov nodded. "You have the resources over the city to do so. I'm sure getting the men together for the hit squad isn't out of your limit I take it? After all, you yourself claimed to be the one that 'runs this town."

"Why can't you do it yourself?" Karl asked, looking up at Makarov.

"That's not important." Makarov replied simply. "The only thing that matters is that your life depends on it. I'll even pay you for your troubles. So long as you kill her of course."

Karl looked at Makarov cautiously. "I end this person life, and you spare mine?"

Makarov nodded, offering his hand. "Your choice. Do we have an agreement?"

Karl glared at Makarov, but reluctantly shook his hand. "We do."

"She'll be coming out of the Moscow Investigation Bureau at precisely eleven o'clock tomorrow." Makarov said, heading to the exit. "That will be your best chance."

Makarov motioned for Anya and Victor to follow, and he walked away, a dark yet hidden smile on his face. He could see everything now. He could picture Ellien's death in his mind that would befall her tomorrow.

_"Ellien, you are clever, but not clever enough..." _Makarov thought to himself as he imagined Ellien walking outside, unaware of her own demise. _"Tomorrow will be your day of defeat Ellien Lelend...Tomorrow is the day when you realize what kind of game you were playing..."

* * *

_

**The Following Day...**

Makarov sat silent in his apartment, watching the clock slowly tick towards eleven o clock. The wait was killing him, glancing at his phone, waiting for the call from Karl. Each second, he knew that it was drawing closer.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Makarov's phone rang. He slowly picked up, opened it, and brought it too his ear.

"Yes?" Makarov asked quietly, holding the phone to his ear.

"I have ten men armed, ready and waiting." Karl's grim voice said monotonously. "They know the target, and will shoot her on sight."

Makarov nodded to himself. "Good..." He silently hung up the phone, setting it up on the desk.

His eyes flickered back up at the clock, watching the second hand tick towards eleven. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59...

Makarov smirked as the hour hand struck Eleven. "Time's up, Ellien..."

* * *

"Inspector Sedusky, there you are."

Sedusky was sitting in the lobby of the Investigation Bureau when he heard the familiar voice of Ellien calling to him. He looked up to see her no doubt, waiting expectantly as always

"I did not expect you to actually come here." Sedusky said as he got out of his chair. "You don't seem to get out much,

"Yes, well I'm quite busy, so my free time is usually restricted." Ellien replied simply. "Now we have work to do."

Sedusky sighed and followed her to the exit, already wondering what he would be helping her with today. Most likely more follow up reports on the attack, or maybe going through alibi locations, or some other tedious task that Ellien made him do.

He stepped out on to the Moscow street, looking up at the sky. It was a nice, sunny day, and the rain they had gotten the following night had vanished. Perfect weather, but Sedusky would be unfortunately spending most of it underground.

"Ellien, can I ask you a question?" Sedusky asked as he walked beside her.

"That depends." She said, walking calmly. "What's the question?"

"After all this is over, what are you going to do?"

"Most likely continue working of course." Ellien replied. "After all, solving one case doesn't mean it's over for good.."

"I know, but-

He was stopped by Ellien's arm blocking him in his path, causing him to look in confusion.

"What?" Sedusky asked, looking around. "What is-

Then, he saw it. Three men, walking and looking right at them, wearing long coats and hands concealed in their pockets. It didn't take long for Sedusky to realize why she had stopped, and even shorter for him to jump into action.

"Get down!" Sedusky shouted, grabbing Ellien by the arm and yanking her to the nearby cover of a parked car. Gunfire quickly erupted, shattering the car windows that they were taking cover behind. Shards of glass littered the pavement, and many pedestrians had started screaming and fleeing for their lives.

Sedusky clutched his pistol, glancing carefully around the car. He quickly retracted it as a bullet flew close and took out the headlight next to his face, causing more glass to shatter and inflict small cuts into his face.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Sedusky asked out loud. He didn't have time to get an answer as a bullet hitting the pavement next to his and Ellien feet caused him to look across the street. Five other men, armed with guns, were now aiming right at them.

Sedusky quickly returned fire, sending the men into cover. He desperately looked for options, places to run, places to escape. But their was none. This was an ambush, a setup. And he was right in the middle of it.

Suddenly, two police officers appeared from a nearby patrol car, and quickly pulled out their pistols. The returned fire at the hit men, dropping one and sending the others into cover. Sedusky felt a little better knowing he had back up, but wasn't prepared for such a fire fight.

"Ellien, listen to me, we have to get out of here!" Sedusky shouted over gunfire. Ellien didn't move. Instead, she was staring at her attackers, almost straining to see them. She ignored his warning despite the imminent danger around them.

Sedusky swore under his breath and loaded a clip into his pistol, returning fire. The two police officers were helping quite well, until one took a stray bullet to the leg, sending him to the ground.

"Dammit..." Sedusky said under his breath. "Bastards...Who the hell sent them?"

He was about to think about the answer when he suddenly realized the grim fact. This was it. This was where he would die. Outnumbered and outgunned in a street fight. This wasn't how it was suppose to end. So many questions left unanswered, so many things that he still had to tell people.

He looked to see one lone gunman aim his weapon at Sedusky. He was staring right down the sight. He closed his eyes and held Ellien's hand, trying to offer her and himself comfort. Ellien didn't do anything. She was still trying to see who the attackers where.

He heard the bullet, but not the pain. He opened his eyes and looked behind where the shot was fired to see a welcomed sight. Fellow Inspectors and officers from inside the Investigation bureau had joined the fight, and now were exchanging gunfire with the attackers. They had them easily outnumbered them now, and the hit men were slowly retreating as the sound of approaching police sirens were slowly coming closer.

"Ellien!" Sedusky said, shaking her. "Lets go, come on!"

Unresponsive, Sedusky forced her to her feet and was about to take her back inside to the safety of the Investigation bureau, when a lone hit man caught his eye. He locked eyes with Sedusky and before he had time to react, he fired a shot at Ellien.

"No!" Sedusky said, pushing Ellien out of the way and dodging into the path of the bullet.

Sedusky felt a sharp piercing pain drive through his shoulder as he and Ellien fell to the ground. They both hit the ground, Sedusky clutching his shoulder in pain, blood staining red through his clothes.

Ellien was suddenly snapped out of her trance and looked down at Sedusky, now laying in her lap bleeding.

"Inspector-"

"My shoulder!" Sedusky winced, clutching his shoulder. "It's in my shoulder!"

Ellien was about to help him, when Sedusky's cell phone in his pocket went off. Wondering who it could be, he reached in his pocket his free hand. He looked to see who was calling. The name nearly made him brake the phone right there.

"Vasily..." Sedusky said, opening the phone, already knowing who truly was on the other line.

Ellien took the phone out of his hand. Her face was covered in blood. She answered it, putting it on speaker.

"Hello, Sedusky? Ellien? Are you there?" Vasily asked, concern in his voice. "Please, somebody? Anybody?"

Ellien slowly narrowed her eyes at the phone, not saying a single word. She just stared in silence at the name, listening to the caller on the other side. Sedusky looked up at her, already knowing what she was thinking without her saying it.

"Ellien, are you there?" Vasily asked again. "There's been a shooting..."

* * *

_"A shooting in downtown has just occurred. We're bringing you live footage from the scene._.."

Makarov glanced back from the news broadcast to the clock. "Ellien, are you okay?" He asked, putting false sincerity into his words. "Are you hurt? Is everything all right?"

He waited for an answer, but heard nothing. Nevertheless, he knew she knew was on listening on the other end of the line.

Makarov smirked, looking at the news broadcast, showing the scene downtown.

"What's the matter Ellien?"

* * *

**Authors Note: **Sorry for the delays in updates in case anyone was wondering. Just been busy lately with a lot of things that I have to get done, as well as working on my story on FictionPress. (Which you can check out from my profile.) Hopefully I'll get a break so I can write some more.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Rate/Review/Favorite


	46. Cornered

Silence was the only sound Makarov heard as he calmly walked down the illuminated blue hallway of the OSI headquarters. The newscast annoucing the shooting downtown involving Ellien was the only thing he had in his mind. He constantly played it over and over in his head, enjoying every time he repeated it. It was like beautiful music.

His plan had gone perfectly. He had put not only Ellien, but Inspector Sedusky as well into harms way. And from reports, it seemed to sound like he had taken a bullet. A sight Makarov wished he could have witnessed. Even with it's success, it still hadn't accomplished what he had intended it to do: Kill Ellien Lelend.

Yet to his surprise, this fact didn't bother him. True, she wasn't dead. But it showed her who she was dealing with, and how far out of her league she really was compared to him.

_"Maybe staring down death will shake your confidence..."_ Makarov thought to himself with a hidden smirk. _"If only I could have seen you cowering like the rat you are.."_

It was all too perfect for Makarov. And best of all, he could stand right in front of her and seemingly laugh in her face. She couldn't prove it was him that hired the hit, another fact that he would take pleasure in. No matter what she thought or wanted, no matter how smart she was, or determined...

She couldn't catch him.

_"Now, lets see how your doing..." _Makarov thought as he neared the security door and punched in his code. _"After all, I am 'concerned' for your wellbeing..."_

Makarov watched as the metal door slid open, and he quickly shifted into his acting role.

All members of the OSI were sitting at the table, as if waiting on him. Ellien was sitting at the far end, her chair turned, facing away. Makarov took no time in rushing in, acting concerned and surprised.

"The shooting..." He pretended to panted, as if he had sprinted down to them. "I heard on the-

Makarov didn't have time to finish before a hand was around his neck collar. He found himself staring into Inspector Sedusky's eyes. They weren't his normal calm green hue. They were full of anger and fire.

"You!" Sedusky shouted, his grip tightening. "I should have you executed on the spot!"

Makarov glared at Sedusky "What the hell? Inspec-

"Don't even start this again you bastard!" Sedusky spat, pushing Makarov against the wall.

Cecile rose out from her chair behind them. "Henri, you promised-"

"This has gone far enough!" Sedusky yelled, cutting her off. He quickly turned his attention back to Makarov.

"You think you have everyone fooled...You think you can just walk right in here..."

Makarov calmly stared, not raising his voice a single bit. "Inspector Sedusky, I understand being under fire is stressful, but taking your pent up agression-

He was cut off as Sedusky tightened his visegrip. "This game of yours is over..." Sedusky whispered. "You think you can just hire a hit on someone and waltz in here?"

"A hit?" Makarov asked innocently, trying to keep himself from smirking. "Inspector Sedusky, you couldn't possibly be saying that it was me that hired nearly a dozen Russian gunman to kill you and Ellien? Last time I checked, a college professor doesn't have many connections with the mafia..."

"If you think anyone here isn't suspicious of you, your dead wrong!" Sedusky shouted, his brow buried in anger. "I swear, if it were up to me, I would-

"That is enough, Inspector Sedusky."

Ellien's voice instantly cut him off, causing Sedusky to look behind at the turned chair.

"You can be serious..." Sedusky stared, looking in disbelief. "Ellien, please-

"That is enough." Ellien repeated, her voice stern and cold. "I order you to release Mr. Vasily at once."

Sedusky opened his mouth to say more, but he hung his head, defeated. He slowly but relucantly released his grip on Makarov, and silently returned to his seat with the rest of the OSI.

Makarov could hardly contain himself. This was even better then he expected. He had gotten away with many things in his time, but this had to take top place. Seeing Sedusky so frustrated made it more then worth it for him. If only Elena were here to see his masterpiece...

_"Thats right...Accept that simple fact...The fact that you can't catch me...The fact that you can't beat me..."_

Makarov stood silent in front of everyone, confident in himself. He was waiting for the reaction from the one person he wanted to savor, to gloat and shove in her face. He wanted to say something clever, a taunt like he had over the phone when he had called during the shooting. But doing so would make him look guilty. Patience, all in good time.

It was nearly a full minute before anything was said. Ellien was naturally the first one to break the tense silence.

"Yuri Vasily..." She said to herself, her chair still turned. She was looking at the large computer monitor infront of her. The screen had video of news press and reports of the shooting playing all over the screen.

Makarov nodded curtly. "Ellien, I heard about the shooting." He said, like an actor rehearsing his lines. "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"What a nice gesture..." Ellien said in monotone. "I'm quite fine. If it weren't for Inspector Sedusky, my current status might of been quite different."

Makarov watched from the corner from his eye as Sedusky shot him a silent glare. Makarov gave a small smile and took a step forward towards the others.

"Yes, well Inspector Sedusky is quite dedicated..." Makarov said, glancing over at the detective. "Maybe over dedicated, wouldn't you say?"

"I do apologize for the greeting you recieved. You aren't too badly shaken up by any means?"

"Not at all." Makarov said, basking in the moment. "It's understandable with the recent events."

"Yes...recent events..." She started, her eyes on the monitor. "A topic I wish to discuss with you."

Makarov had been waiting and looking forward to this at the same time. The moment where Ellien would try and deduce that it was him who had hired the attempt on her life. Where she would catch him red handed and finally have the proof that he was indeed, Vladimir Makarov.

But he wasn't simple minded. He had made sure Karl, the Mafia, and anyone involved couldn't be linked to him in the slightest, and on top of that, an alibi constructed to keep him safe. Try as she might, there was nothing she could do to prove it was him. He would enjoy this.

"Of course." Makarov replied, as if he expected it. "You want my insight to the attack?"

A pause. "Actually, yes. That is a good idea. Tell me Vasily, who do you think was responsible for this?"

He paused for a second before responding. "The men who attacked you were obviously well organized and well armed. Way out of the league of common criminals. They also used arms commonly found in criminal organizations throughout Moscow. Based on these facts, I would conclude it was the Russian Mafia and not the USSA."

"An interesting deduction, but one I would agree with." Ellien replied. "Now another question: Why?"

"Why?" Makarov repeated, pretending to ponder the question. "Multiple reasons possibly. Maybe its a power thing. Maybe they feel threatened."

There was a silence as everyone waited for Ellien to reply. Makarov stood calmly, waiting for any question that she would ask. Instead, she responded by finally turning her chair to face him.

"Thank you for your insight Mr. Vasily." Ellien said, her eyes staring into him. "Now, I have some other questions..."

"Hmm?" Makarov asked, raising his eyebrow. "About what?"

"At approximately 10:55 AM yesterday, you were sitting in your apartment, correct?"

He nodded. "I informed Jaufrei."

"Yes, I know." She said, glancing over at the old man. "And between that time and the shooting, what did you do?"

Makarov had choosen his words carefully, and gave his alibi. "I was watching the news, when the shooting came on. After that, I called to make sure you were all right."

"Yes, Inspector Sedusky recieved the call. However..."

Makarov waited, still confident. "However what?"

"Unknown to your knowledge, I have a record of every call sent out and recieved from your cell phone Vasily. Normally they are all numbers that can be reconized and traced, but for some reason just before 11:00, you recieved a call from an unknown caller."

Makarov's world instantly froze, and for the first time, a shock of fear went down his spine. _"My cell phone...She had my cell phone bugged this entire time..."_

"Whats also interesting is that my movements are only known by members of the OSI." Ellien continued, her eyes staring into Makarov's soul. "And the only people that knew my whereabouts, are sitting right in this room."

Makarov stood still in shock and fear, trying not to show it. His throat was unaturally dry.

"Ellien, you can't possibly be saying-"

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying." Ellien said without hesitation. "I believe it was you who hired the Mafia to take my life today. The proof from your cell phone, as well as the possibilty to leak infomation-

"I didn't cause this!" Makarov shouted, raising his voice. "What proof do you have? Just because the call couldn't be traced doesn't mean-"

"Then who did you call right before the attack?" Ellien continued without pause. "Was it the men that were waiting for your signal? Tell me, what would the Mafia gain by my death?"

"What would I gain from your death?" Makarov demanded, hiding his fear in anger. "I've already been investigated in the past by the police for being accused as 'Vladimir Makarov', and we all know he died years ago!"

"And yet he made a public broadcast not even a month ago..."

"A copycat!" Makarov countered. "Nothing more!"

"Perhaps, but this was no broadcast." Ellien said, closing her eyes. "This was an orchestrated attack, conducted by the Mafia under the order of a proxy. And I believe that proxy to be Vladimir Makarov, or this 'copycat' claiming to be him.

Her eyes opened. "And I believe that individual to be you."

Makarov stood shocked in complete fear. All eyes were on him as everyone waited, waited to see what would happen next. Time seemed to be at a complete standstill.

"You can't..." Makarov started, slowly backing up. "How can you even begin-

"Yuri Vasily." Ellien started, interlacing her fingers. "I have discussed this with everyone and we all agree on this decsion."

"Decsion?" He asked, looking around at everyone in confusion. "Decison for what?"

"Yuri Vasily, you are under arrest for conspiracy for murder." Ellien said swiftly. "You will be detained until your innocence can be proven."

"Detained!" Makarov shouted, glaring at Ellien. "You can't just detain me, I have rights!"

"Any rights you have were signed on to me when you agreed to be apart of this organization." Ellien countered. "Until you are proven innocent, you will be detained until futher notice. Its for all our safety, you will understand..."

"This is an outrage!" Makarov cried, looking around at everyone in complete disbelief. "You have no proof! This isn't logical!"

Ellien was quick to ignore him. "Sedusky. Obreiski. Please detain and escort Mr. Vasily to cell two. Interrogations are to be set up immedately."

Makarov watched as Sedusky and Agent Obreiski got up from their chairs, cuffs in hand.

"Please, just come quietly." Obreiski said. "I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding Yuri. It will be cleared up, don't worry."

_"If you only knew American..."_ Makarov thought as the feeling of metal wrapped around his wrists. _"I have no time for this or any one of the likes of you..."_

Sedusky took no time in securing the handcuffs on Makarov, making sure they were extra tight. He was then escorted out of the room towards the exit. As he walked, head silently staring at the floor, he finally began to realize what a foolish and costly mistake he had made.

_"This was her plan along...All the freedom she gave me...It was just bait for this kind of move...And she was prepared for it...I should have known, I should have checked the damn phone...Damn her!"_

He suddenly realized the next stage of her plan. It wouldn't be a matter of time before she could gather up enough evidence for a conviction. It would only be a matter of time before he was sent to death row, and there was nothing he could do about it except sit in a cell and wait for his sentence.

_"This is the end...Nina is going to die because of me...Nina...She's going to die..."_

Makarov could imagine Shepherd's voice in his head, seemingly taunting him. _"She's going to die because of you...She's going to die because you weren't strong enough to save her..."_

_"No!" _Makarov screamed in his mind. He suddenly realized something very important. Something not even Ellien had knowledge of. So important, if he played his next moves right, he could survive. Even turn the tables on Ellien, once and for all.

A dark smirk began to form on his face, realizing and beginning to plot what would be the beginning of the end for Ellien Lelend. He would finally be rid of her once and for all, and he could finally focus on getting to his sister.

_"Enjoy this moment Ellien..._._Afterall. It will be one of your last..."_


	47. Suspicions

The final stretch of sidewalk was finally before him as Matthew Webb limped down the city street. The sun was beginning to set on Moscow, and the town had a reputation of being a dangerous place after dark. Especially for an American.

He carefully checked to make sure no one was following him before heading down the alley towards the familiar door of the safehouse,.It had been nearly two days since the attack on the hospital, just two days since he nearly faced capture from the police. But luck was still on his side, and from the most unlikest of sources.

Webb briefly thought back to the young woman who risked her life to save his. _"She could have let me die...But she saved me...An American, and a terrorist no doubt..."_

The whole spin of events still seemed surreal to him, just the way it happened, almost too perfect. Webb was already careful by nature, and every situation he fell into called for a degree of suspicion. But for Anya, he felt different.

He knew she worked for Vladimir Makarov, and even found out she had direct contact with him. Whether this was truely fact or fiction, it still remained to be seen. Even so, he felt like she had been sincere in their conversations, and just from brief talks, her relationship with the violent and world known terrorist was less then friendly. Maybe on the borderline of hostile...

Webb looked down at his bandaged wound as he limped down the alley. _"...She could have killed me after finding out I wasn't any use to her...Is she really that bad of a person, or is she just like me, someone trying to find meaning to all this chaos..."_

Despite their differences, he and Anya had found one thing they agreed on. This entire conflict had to end. And the only way it could would be for both sides to stand down. Webb was certain that he could stop Makarov, and Anya was set on finding the Patriot. He had his reasons and she had hers. And together, they would stop this, once and for all.

Webb had already memorized what places and times they would meet. Anya was organized and skilled enough to set up locations that wouldn't attract attention or suspicion. All Webb would have to do was keep it a secret from the others...

Suddenly, a shock of actualization hit Webb. _"How the hell am I going to explain my disappearence to the others, especially Miller?..."_

Webb stood silent and still in front of the safehouse door, staring at the rusted metal in thought. He knew they would ask, but what would he say? They had barely escaped on their own, what story could he come up with to sound convincing? Webb knew Miller was violent and sadistic, but he wasn't stupid either.

Webb sighed as he raised his hand to knock. "I'm going to regret this..." He muttered to himself as he knocked on the door.

He knocked the door in the correct pattern only he and the others knew. There was a brief silence before the door creeked open just enough for someone to peer out.

"Webb?" A voice asked in disbelief. He instantly reconized it.

Webb gave an awkward smile. "Hey Cl-

Clay nearly tackled him to the ground as he burst outside and hugged him, causing Webb to gasp for air.

"Clay!"

"Matt!" Clay exclaimed, grinning and spinning Webb around. "Your alive! You lucky son of a bitch, your still breathing!"

"Ya..." Webb said weakly, trying to get air. "But I don't think I will for long..."

"Oh..." Clay said, relasing his grip. "Sorry bout that, just get in here!"

Webb happily agreed and quickly stepped inside the safehouse. The familiar smell of faint mold and dust caused him to relax. Home sweet home.

"Well, look who it is."

Webb turned to see Chloe, her arms on her hips, and a cross look on her face.

"Chloe!" Clay beamed. "See, I told you he'd be-

"Shut up." She snapped, not taking her eyes of Webb. Clay knew to it safe around her and silenced himself instantly.

Webb watched as she walked over to him, her eyes cutting into him like knives. He glanced away as she neared him, her eyes making him feel more and more uncomfortable and gulity by the second.

"Listen, Chloe..." Webb started. "I know you probably have-

A sharp slap hit him across the face, causing Clay and even Webb to stare in complete shock. He didn't even no how to respond. This was a side of Chloe he had never seen. Or felt for that matter.

"Damn!" Webb cried, clutching his face in pain. "What was that for?"

Her eyes were filled with a rare mix of anger, relief, and joy, accompanied by tears. "You idiot..." She managed before she flung her arms around his neck.

Webb's ankle stung in pain as he put his weight on it, causing him to flinch.

Chloe was quick to notice his pain. "Oh, sorry." She apologized , trying to wipe tears from her eyes before anyone noticed. "I forgot, you nearly had a buliding fall on you..."

Webb managed a smile. "Something like that. Nothing that didn't kill me thankfully."

Clay too eyed the bandage around Webb's ankle. "Its good to see your still in one piece. It's a miracle we made it out of there. I can only imagine the luck you must have."

"Yes...Luck..."

All three of them turned to see Miller walk out of the shadows behind them. Webb noticed his hand was bandaged, his right middle finger gone, no doubt caused by the bullet the brief firefight back at the hospital.

Miller smoked a cigerette as he carefully studied Webb. "Matthew. It's good to see you 'completely' unharmed."

"Not entirely unharmed sir." Webb said, staying cool and calm. "My ankle." He added, pointing at his bandage.

"Yes, so sorry to hear that." Miller said with the slightest hit of sarcasm. He paced around towards him, like a wolf circling it's prey.

"Enlighten me Matthew," He continued. "There is something on my mind that i'm having difficulty fathoming."

"Of course sir."

"You were wounded, left on your own, and stranded with nearly half of the FSB in Moscow looking for you..."

"Yes sir."

"Then tell me how the hell you are able to just waltz in here like the fucking thing never happened!" Miller exploded, throwing his cigerette in anger.

"It was a combination of training and good tim-"

"You expect me to believe that lie!"

"Then how do you explain me standing in front of you!" Webb shouted back. "You know the police, they would have shot me on sight!"

Webb's fists tightened as he held his breath. _"I can't even hint the slightest detail about Anya...It would be my death sentence..."_

Miller responded in more outbursts. "Williams had severe burns on her leg and thighs!"

"Which didn't hinder me at the time Miller." Chloe interjected, trying hard not to intervene.

"Beckett suffered a concussion curtsey of a stray brick!" Miller continued, ignoring Chloe. "Leaving us to carry him while still trying to outrun the police!"

"Which did hit me very hard sir..." Clay pointed out.

"Shut up!" Miller snarled, causing Clay to cower back into a corner.

Miller turned his attention back to Webb. "And I lost my finger! Thanks to that bitch and her friend!"

"The two police we enountered in the hallway back at the hospital..." Webb replied calmly, thinking back. "She said she was from some special investigation group I believe sir."

"The OSI." Chloe added. "Office of Special Investigations."

"And the woman's name was Lelend." Webb replied back, slowly remembering. "Ellien Lelend was the name. And that man with her?"

"We don't know." Clay replied, crossing his arms. "I didn't get a good look at him."

"Thats not the point." Miller said, his anger slowly retreating. "She a threat, the entire operation was put in jeopardy because of her. And from research I've done, shes definately in a high position of power. She somehow has complete control over the FSB and the police. And she uses them without regard protocol.

_"No wonder the FSB charged in earlier then we anticipated..." _Webb thought. _"...The rules must not apply to her...Very Dangerous..."_

Miller shook his head. "Either way, it still doesn't change anything. The weapon did what it was expected to do, kill a single man without harming anyone else..."

Miller's eyes darkened. "Now we can proceed to the third trial...The final trial..."

"The third trial." Webb asked, surprised. "Theres going to be another test?"

"I suppose being persume dead for two days causes one to be left out of a many of things..." Miller said quietly.

"What test?" Webb demanded, still not believing what he was hearing. "That last one was suppose to be the end, the public is already scared-

"No." Miller said, silencing Webb. "Not yet."

Webb looked at Clay and Chloe for answers. Both were staring at the ground in silence, avoiding his eyes. No doubt they had already been told of Miller's plan.

Webb looked back at Miller, who had returned to his cigerette, staring of into space.

"We've proved it can specific people..." Miller said, almost translike. "So ask yourself, what stopping us from taking 'him' out?"

Webb lowered his voice. "Him? You think we can take him out?"

"Everything will be explained in good time." Miller said, a calm smile. "All In good time..."

Chloe glanced at her wristwatch. "It late." She said in attempt to change the topic. "We should get to bed."

"Sacktime sure sounds good." Clay added, slowly retreating towards his room "I think I'll hit the hay too."

"You do that..." Miller said, still off daydreaming, thinking about the future.

Seeing everyone leaving, Webb slowly began to turn his back on Miller and head to his room, when a hand suddenly stopped him in his tracks.

"Hold on Matthew..."

Webb slowly turned his head to see Miller staring down at him, his icy blue eyes chilling him to the bone.

"I thought it might be nice to let you know..." He said in a cold tone. "That I'll be keeping a close eye on you."

Webb stared into his eyes, not blinking or looking away. This was a side that even he had never seen in Miller before. His eyes had a different feel to them. Calulating. Watching. Planning.

"It would be wise to have that the forefront of your thinking Matthew..." He added, putting his wounded hand in front of Webb's face. "It would be unfortunate for you to have another accident..."

Webb didn't say a word. Only a slight nod before Miller turned away.

_"Perhaps keeping Anya secret will be harder then I thought..."_

* * *

"He's been sitting in there for the last hour..."

Sedusky continued to stare at Vasily through the one way mirror as he sat in the interrogation room, watching his every action. Despite his recent outburst, he seemed quite calm, almost expecting such an action to be taken against him.

He turned his head over to Ellien. "You going to conduct the interview now?"

She had been standing not even an inch away from the glass, staring at Vasily for the past hour like a curious child at the zoo. She had not uttered a single word in the full sixty minutes they had been sitting, and Sedusky patience was wearing thin.

"Ellien!" Sedusky tried again. "Are you or are you not going to conduct the interview?"

Silence filled the room.

"No." She uttered simply, not moving an inch as she said it.

Sedusky hand flew into his face in frustration. "Why have we been sitting here for the past hour wasting time?"

"Correction. You have been sitting. I have been observing."

"Observing what?" Sedusky demanded, his frustration growing. "He's just been sitting in there."

"Yes, but I find something odd." Ellien replied quietly. "He was in near panic when you detained him. Now he's calm. Too calm..."

Sedusky sat up slowly and walked over to the glass. "I noticed that as well." He replied, staring at 'Vasily' through the mirror. "He had to of planned that hit, but you don't think he could have planned being detained as well?"

"Everything is still a possibility, Inspector, many things are. The possibility that the man that sits in this room really is Yuri Vasily, or Makarov."

"Pretending to be a different person." Sedusky added.

"And thats the part I can't understand."

Sedusky looked over in genuine surprise, almost shock that he had just heard Ellien admit not knowing something.

"Now theres something you don't hear everyday..." Sedusky said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

"Why does he continue this ploy?" She continued, still deep in thought. "What is he searching for? Who is he searching for?"

_"She does have a point..."_ Sedusky thought to himself. _"If the man sitting in that room is Vladimir Makarov, then why is he going to all this trouble? This isn't like him..."_

They stood in suspended silence, observing before Ellien finally made her move.

"Well, I suppose it's time." She said finally, removing herself from the glass.

"You think you can get a confession?" Sedusky asked.

"If this is Vladimir Makarov, no." She replied. "However, that's not what I'm looking for."

"Then what are you looking for?"

"Something more important." She replied as she heading to the door. "Whether or not the man that sits in that room really is Yuri Vasily, or Vladimir Makarov."

* * *

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